ERM Annual Review 2008 - (Page 9) Holcim Vietnam Ltd. Assessing the social impacts of proposed expansion at a limestone quarry in Vietnam. Angus McEwin & Anh Doan Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Rutuja Tendolkar, Mumbai, India Toby Whincup, Perth, Australia BAA Ltd Undertaking a voluntary health impact assessment as part of plans to build a second runway at Stansted Airport. Roger Barrowcliffe, London, UK Negotiating Two Impact Assessment Paths As a result, organizations are required to address both local 2007 was characterized by the continuing development regulatory requirements for impact assessment and stringent of two paths in the impact assessment world. Conventional global standards. This has been exemplified by our work at an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) continued to focus oil refinery in Russia. Submissions were prepared concurrently on meeting the specific approval requirements of local regulators, to satisfy local permitting conditions and those of international these requirements vary substantially across jurisdictions. financial institutions. The second was typified by the demand for broader ranging assessments carried out to meet international standards. These International Experience and Local Expertise Environmental, Social and Health Impact Assessments (ESHIA) To meet both local and international standards, it is essential are driven by financial, reputational and governance imperatives, that knowledge of local legislation and procedures is coupled rather than just regulatory requirements. Subsequently, they with an international track record. ERM’s introduction of a global require much greater attention be paid to social and public knowledge sharing platform, Minerva, has supported this by health issues and demand thorough public consultation providing instant access to information, facilitating collaboration and disclosure. and sharing best practice. For instance, for CIC Energy Corp, Three factors have been key to the evolution of an 39 ERM staff members from five countries worked together to international standard for ESHIA: financial institutions becoming complete an International Finance Corporation (IFC) standard major stakeholders in the environmental and social performance ESHIA for a proposed energy project in Botswana. of projects with the rise of the Equator Principles (EPs); In a local context, our expertise is being recognized through emergence of increasingly robust internal corporate policies; the achievement of specific licenses including a top tier EIA and stakeholder demands for a consistently high standard of license from the Chinese State Environmental Protection performance on the part of multinational corporations, regardless Administration. ERM has the only ‘Class A’ license held by of where on the globe they choose to operate. a foreign invested consultancy in China, allowing us to work on major EIA projects in the country. � Northern Peru Copper Corp Reviewing a resettlement process against the Equator Principles. As part of development plans for a mine in northern Peru, a resettlement process needed to be implemented. Part way through this process a review was conducted to ensure implementation was consistent with international best practice, as set out by the Equator Principles. To comply with the Equator Principles, during the gap analysis areas for improvement were identified and recommendations were made to improve community relations and management of the resettlement process. Agnieszka Rawa, Washington DC, US Alberto Sambartolome, Lima, Peru ERM Annual Review 2008 09
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