A decade of the EIA Quality Mark

As we celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the EIA Quality Mark, IEMA can announce that, during the past 12 months, the scheme has undergone a thorough review of practice, including stakeholder consultation with registrants and assessors, in order to improve it.

The amendments include a broadening and strengthening of the interview process, additional review procedures, a move towards a digital platform, closer integration between registrants and Impact Assessment Network activities, and a broadening of opportunities to contribute to good practice.

The scheme has enhanced UK environmental impact assessment (EIA) by creating a strong community of practitioners who are working to maintain and improve standards, as well as sharing examples and working together to enhance knowledge and produce innovative solutions in practice. The scheme has already provided numerous benefits that have driven improvements. These benefits have been felt by consenting authorities, communities, wider stakeholders, developers and EIA practitioners.

At the scheme’s launch on 18 April 2011, 38 organisations registered as founding members, including those that completed the transition from our previous corporate EIA register and those that piloted the scheme’s application process during 2010.

We are proud to announce that 58 organisations are now registered. Further information on the registrants can be found at bit.ly/2RlQ48y

The revised EIA Quality Mark will continue to help ensure that the environmental impacts of new development are minimised, and that key environmental issues are fully integrated into decision-making.

“EIA is a critical tool in the implementation of sustainable and responsible development. The IEMA EIA Quality Mark is a leading example of professional good practice in the field of EIA, not just in the UK but globally, and something we should all be proud of.” – Dr Rufus Howard, IEMA impact assessment policy lead.

“Having been involved with the pilot in 2010 and an advocate of the EIA Quality Mark across the last 10 years, I have seen the quality of EIA in the UK substantially improve during this period. The EIA Quality Mark has significantly contributed to this.” – Andy Ricketts, director and head of EIA, Turley.

“IEMA’s EIA Quality Mark is the only UK-wide scheme to independently verify performance both in terms of environmental statement quality and EIA team operations – it has for the past 10 years helped organisations to improve and demonstrate competence in the field of EIA, something to be celebrated!” – Stef Simmons, Quality Mark assessor.

Read more at bit.ly/3boyqI8

Image credit: Alamy