Policy Solution
Heat-resilient environmental impact asssessments (EIA)
Mandate
Overview:
Summary: Most Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) do not take impacts on the urban heat island effect into consideration. Governments should incorporate a new development's adverse effects on its surrounding environment in the context of heat (e.g. building mass, increased pedestrian temperatures, greenhouse gas emissions, etc.) in environmental impact assessments.
Implementation: Amend existing EIAs to include heat considerations.
Considerations for Use: To support the transition to an amended EIA, host trainings to educate staff and stakeholders on updated EIA methodologies.
- Policy Levers:
MandateMandates are government regulations that require stakeholders to meet standards through building codes, ordinances, zoning policies, or other regulatory tools. - Trigger Points:
City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.No-regrets actions (low cost/low effort but substantial benefit)Interventions that are relatively low-cost and low effort (in terms of requisite dependencies) but have substantial environmental and/or social benefits. - Intervention Type:
Planning/Policy - Sectors:
City Administration
- Target Beneficiaries:
Residents - Phase of Impact:
Risk reduction and mitigation - Metrics:
Number of permits that incorporate UHI considerations
Impact:
- Vienna Urban Heat Island Strategy (UDF, Pg 60)
Case Studies:
Implementation:
- Intervention Scale:
City, State/Province - Authority and Governance:
City government, State/provincial government - Implementation Timeline:
Short-term (1-2 Years) - Implementation Stakeholders:
City government, Private developers - Funding Sources:
Public investment - Capacity to Act:
High
- Cost-Benefit:
Low - Public Good:
Low - GHG Reduction:
N/A - Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
N/A - Co-benefits (Social):
N/A