ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the international legal norms and governance frameworks that apply to the assessment of environmental impacts at the planning stage of large-scale activities within both polar regions. In the Arctic, beyond limited international obligations in transboundary contexts, the eight Arctic States all have developed a domestic legal framework for impact assessment. The Arctic Council has developed several sets of environmental impact assessment guidelines aimed at harmonising impact assessments procedures across the region under the umbrella of sustainable development. In the south, the Antarctic Treaty System, through Article 8 and Annex I of its 1991 Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty has created a multi-level framework for States Parties to evaluate the impacts of proposed activities. Environmental evaluations in the polar regions are essential for sustainable development and the protection of vulnerable ecosystems but their EIA systems’ distinctive features and uniqueness limit the scope for polar comparisons.
