A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Should the ecosystem services concept be used in European Commission impact assessment?
Integrated impact assessment (IA) of policies in the European Commission takes place in an environmentof competing problem frames, contested policy objectives and a multitude of interested actors. This papersets out to discuss the potential value of integrating the ecosystem services (ESS) concept for improvingthe consideration of environmental benefits and values during framing and appraisal of new policies atEuropean level. The discussion was based on a workshop conducted with experts encompassing theirdisciplinary fields to the science–policy interface. A review of recent literature and impact assessmentreports from policy science and ecosystem services research allowed for a two-way contemplation. Thepotential integration of concepts was analysed for conceptual, technical, ethical and pragmatic aspects.It was found that indicator sets applied in the impact assessment reports follow a much less formalisedstructure than the reports or the procedure. An integration of the ecosystem services concept wouldenhance the requisite variety of indicators used, and thus contribute to the overall goal for sustainabledevelopment. Potentials for improving IA lie particularly in the up- and downscaling of benefits andvalues, policy relevant comparative studies and the prospective possibilities for innovation in indica-tor development. Based on this rationale of improving requisite variety for future decision making, theemphasis lies on a further development of the ESS concept along two pathways of operationalisation: thetranslation of the concept for a comprehensive approach at a higher level of abstraction (soft application),and the application of the concept for providing aggregated, quantitative and unit-based information atdifferent steps of an IA (hard application).
Should the ecosystem services concept be used in European Commission impact assessment?
Integrated impact assessment (IA) of policies in the European Commission takes place in an environmentof competing problem frames, contested policy objectives and a multitude of interested actors. This papersets out to discuss the potential value of integrating the ecosystem services (ESS) concept for improvingthe consideration of environmental benefits and values during framing and appraisal of new policies atEuropean level. The discussion was based on a workshop conducted with experts encompassing theirdisciplinary fields to the science–policy interface. A review of recent literature and impact assessmentreports from policy science and ecosystem services research allowed for a two-way contemplation. Thepotential integration of concepts was analysed for conceptual, technical, ethical and pragmatic aspects.It was found that indicator sets applied in the impact assessment reports follow a much less formalisedstructure than the reports or the procedure. An integration of the ecosystem services concept wouldenhance the requisite variety of indicators used, and thus contribute to the overall goal for sustainabledevelopment. Potentials for improving IA lie particularly in the up- and downscaling of benefits andvalues, policy relevant comparative studies and the prospective possibilities for innovation in indica-tor development. Based on this rationale of improving requisite variety for future decision making, theemphasis lies on a further development of the ESS concept along two pathways of operationalisation: thetranslation of the concept for a comprehensive approach at a higher level of abstraction (soft application),and the application of the concept for providing aggregated, quantitative and unit-based information atdifferent steps of an IA (hard application).
Should the ecosystem services concept be used in European Commission impact assessment?
Diehl, Katharina (author) / Burkhard, Benjamin (author) / Jacob, Klaus (author)
2015-01-01
Ecological Indicators (ISSN: 1470-160X), Volume 61, Issue 1, Page 6-17
Miscellaneous
Electronic Resource
English
DDC:
710
Should the ecosystem services concept be used in European Commission impact assessment?
| BASE | 2015