ABSTRACT
In contrast to many of the other tools, environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a site-specific tool. Strategic environmental assessment can be seen as an improvement of and a complement to the EIA. The life cycle approach of eco-design is usually supported by life cycle assessment methods. However, eco-design focuses solely on environmental performance and therefore disregards social dimensions of sustainability. Material Flow Accounting is a systematic assessment of the flows and stocks of materials within a system defined in space and time. Environmental Risk Assessment is a structured process for describing a hazard, identifying the potential for exposure to the hazard, estimating the risk or likelihood of a negative effect based on the hazard and exposures and considering uncertainties associated with the hazard. Risk management uses the results or risk assessment and takes into account economic, social, and political factors in the decision-making process.
