Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and Sustainability Appraisal (SA)
One of Natural Capital's core services is undertaking sustainability appraisal (SA) and strategic en vironmental assessment (SEA) of public sector plans, programmes and strategies. We have already carried out combined SA and SEA for the Local Development Frameworks (Core Strategies) of several local authorities in the North East of England.
Appropriate Assessment – Some of this work has also involved carrying out appropriate assessment reports on behalf of responsible authorities who have designated European sites – Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) and also Ramsar sites within their local authority boundaries.
We are also involved in significant SEA work in Scotland with current projects that include undertaking the SEA of two major Regional Transport Strategies, and the SEA of the high level Sustainable Development Policy of the national housing agency for Scotland – Communities Scotland.
Natural Capital is supporting a wide range of public sector bodies through the provision of the following services:
- strategic advice
- screening of plans, programmes and strategies
- sustainability appraisal
- strategic environmental assessment appraisal
- appropriate assessment
- the production of SA and SEA reports
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Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
The Natural Capital team has many years’ experience of EIA and has worked on all aspects of the process on a wide variety of types of projects, of all scales and sensitivity and under a range of delivery mechanisms. This includes pre-application inquiries, screening and scoping, option studies, environmental assessments, contract procurement and delivery of projects on site.
The team has a strong background in ecology and EIA, combined with extensive experience of auditing the delivery of projects on site and monitoring the success of landscaping and other mitigation measures. Recent major projects include the proposed re-location of a fish meal plant from Iceland to Shetland where the proposed site is situated partly within the Sullom Voe SAC, on-going support to Shetland Island Council for procurement of the Bressay Bridge and environmental advice to Scottish and Southern Energy and Scottish Power for the EIA of a 400kV transmission line between Beauly and Denny.
The team also has wide ranging experience of collating and presenting best practice guidance studies on EIA, including recent work for Scottish Natural Heritage.
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Community Strategy Development
 Services
include:
- Working with local authorities to develop a comprehensive
Community Strategy
- Assisting with Stakeholder engagement at the earliest
stage and the formation of Local Strategic Partnerships
- Engaging the community in the process through facilitated
workshops
- Developing a communications plan
- Awareness raising sessions and specific training
- Ensuring that sustainable development and sustainability
principles are embedded and integrated throughout
the strategy
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Local
Agenda 21 Planning
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Community
Audits
Services include:
- Review existing plans and strategies
- Carry out gap analysis against best practice
- Review community consultation and participation
techniques
- Assess sustainability
- Provide practical recommendations
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Community
Workshops
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Services include:
- Design and deliver stimulating workshops
to maximise engagement with local communities
and other stakeholders
- Advise on participation techniques to maximise
"ownership"
- Design supporting communications plan
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Community
Planning Training and Awareness
Services include:
- Designing and facilitating in-house seminars and
workshops for officers and members on sustainable
development, LA21 and the community strategy process
- Training agency and local authority staff on community
participation techniques and consultation processes
- Awareness raising workshops within the community
on LA21 and Community Strategy processes
- Awareness sessions for focus groups such as local
business, schools and youth
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Sustainability
Appraisals
Services include:
- Advising on the development of sustainability checklists
and indicators
- Reviewing European and UK Funding Programmes (e.g.
Objective 2 etc) for sustainability
- Reviewing regeneration programmes and projects
for sustainability
- Developing sustainability profiles of areas and
districts (linked to State of the Environment Reports)
- Incorporating sustainability appraisals into Best
Value reviews
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Integrating
Sustainable Development into Strategic and Economic
Development Plans
The more forward thinking regions in the world are
accelerating the rate at which they are incorporating
sustainability principles into their economic planning.They
are moving towards sustainable development.
There is now a better balance emerging in the focus
put on sustaining economic, social and environmental
(natural) capital. For the process of sustainable development
to succeed there is a critical balance to be struck
between the 'top down' guiding framework/principles,
set at the 'regional' level, and the 'bottom up' sustainability
objectives, actions and projects delivered at the 'local'
level.
Natural Capital is fast establishing a reputation for
new ideas and a creative approach to helping organisations
incorporate sustainability principles into economic
development plans of any kind.
Contact us if you need assistance with:
- building a strategy
- adapting existing plans to take more account of
sustainable development
- the preparation of new plans
- agenda 21 planning
- area sustainability strategies
Amongst a wide range of approaches, we use:
- facilitated workshops
- seminars
- briefings
- and focused training programmes
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Environmental
Management Systems (EMS)
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Natural Capital offers a full implementation
service for EMSs. We have a strong track record
in facilitating and developing ISO 14001, EMAS
and other EMSs within a range of sectors.
Working together with you and using our expertise
we will develop an EMS that helps to:
- minimise your impact on the environment
- exceeds compliance with all relevant regulations
- deliver cost savings
- constantly improve efficiency
- satisfy stakeholders
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(Natural Capital Team working
Alnwick District Council and local businesses
developing their EMS's)
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Specifically we can provide the following:
- An environmental review and gap analysis of existing
management systems against the requirements of ISO
14001/ EMAS
- Implementation of ISO 14001/ EMAS including policy
development; aspects register; customised register
of legislation; objectives and targets development;
facilitated workshops/ training sessions for all;
integration with existing management systems; management
programmes and procedures; documentation
- Design and implementation of customised management
systems
- Environmental performance improvement initiatives
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Getting
more from ISO 14001
 Are
you getting the most from your IS0 14001 system?
Has the drive to improve faltered as senior management
and other staff motivation takes a dip?
Has progress in environmental improvement started to
flounder?
Are you driving the system or is the system driving
you?
Or have you simply not got started yet?
There may be a need to take a fresh look at the business
in order to get yourself started or regain the momentum.
This is where Natural Capital can help - we can take
that look (together with you) at your business and make
sure that you are getting the most from systems like
ISO 14001. Some of our clients are going further towards
combining environment with quality and health &
safety to create a truly integrated approach to business
management.
Much to gain..........Hidden benefits
There is much to be gained from getting the most out
of ISO 14001 or your own environmental management system:
- a genuine contribution to creating a sustainable
future
- cutting costs in areas like waste management, use
of raw materials, energy usage, water management and
chemical control
- overall better cost control revealing hidden profit
- reducing risks and managing potential liabilities
more effectively
- the potential to increase profit and satisfy a
wider range of stakeholders
- re-energising and motivating staff
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Training
and Communications
 Training
and communications feature highly in all the new and
emerging management systems such as ISO 14001 and the
updated ISO 9000 series. This is simply due to the recognition
that any successful business or organisation that wishes
to continuously improve relies not only on the calibre
of its workforce - employees that are competent and
motivated - but also on their ability to communicate
effectively.
Training staff and raising awareness about environmental
issues is an essential part of delivering the targets
within and EMS such as ISO 14001 and reducing an organisation's
impact on the environment. Increasing a workforce's
understanding and appreciation of the natural world
and the use of resources helps them to recognise where
they and their employer impact on the environment.
Natural Capital can facilitate awareness raising sessions
and provide training to increase understanding and motivate
staff. Past experience has delivered direct improvements
in performance bolstering and complementing in house
efforts. Our aim is to provide a refreshing approach
to training and enhancing communications on environmental
and sustainable development matters. We will tailor
programmes or sessions to your needs taking them from
our catalogue of successful courses. Your choice may
be a two hour management briefing, a one day training
session, a five day focused training programme, a half
day's operator training session, or a facilitated workshop.
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