ABSTRACT
Climate change is often referred to as the most serious environmental challenge facing humanity. The Paris Agreement recognised that more needed to be done to limit global warming to below 2°C by the end of this century, and so countries agreed to meet every five years to set more ambitious targets and report on their progress in implementation. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) can play an important role in helping to meet the commitments made in Paris. A number of agencies and regulatory authorities have recently set requirements for climate change to be considered in ESIAs/Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs). This chapter provides an overview of some of the legislation that has emerged over the last few years that require ESIAs/EIAs to consider aspects of climate change. Most of the available legislation and guidance requires climate change to be considered early in the EIA process.
