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

    Impact:

  • Target Beneficiaries:
    Residents
  • Phase of Impact:
    Risk reduction and mitigation
  • Metrics:
    Number of permits that incorporate UHI considerations

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

    Benefits:

  • Cost-Benefit:
    Low
  • Public Good:
    Low
  • GHG Reduction:
    N/A
  • Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
    N/A
  • Co-benefits (Social):
    N/A