A Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a systematic process for evaluating the environmental implications of a proposed policy, plan or programme. It identifies cumulative effects and addresses them at the earliest stage of decision-making, alongside economic and social considerations.
Compared with a project-level EIA, an SEA works at a strategic level. It asks whether the plan as a whole is heading in a sustainable direction, compares alternatives, and sets conditions that later projects must meet. Done well, it saves time and conflict down the line.
What an SEA examines
An SEA assesses the extent to which a policy, plan or programme:
- responds adequately to environmental and climate-change challenges;
- may adversely affect the environment, natural resources or climate resilience; and
- offers opportunities to improve the environment and contribute to climate-resilient, low-carbon development.
The SEA process
- Screening. Determining whether the policy, plan or programme is likely to have significant environmental effects and therefore needs an SEA.
- Scoping. Identifying the key issues, data needs and alternatives, informed by the concerns of stakeholders.
- Baseline and context. Establishing the current state of the environment and the policy framework the plan sits within.
- Assessment of alternatives. Comparing options against environmental, social and economic criteria, including cumulative effects.
- Mitigation and enhancement. Recommending changes to the plan, conditions for future projects, and institutional measures.
- Reporting and consultation. Preparing the SEA report, consulting on it, and incorporating feedback.
- Monitoring. Setting indicators to track the plan’s environmental performance during implementation.
Plans and programmes we can assess
- County spatial plans, urban plans and integrated development plans
- Land use and zoning plans, and master-planned developments
- Transport, energy and water infrastructure programmes
- Waste management strategies
- Sector policies and national or regional programmes
Making SEA work
An SEA is most effective when it runs alongside plan preparation, the planning authority owns the process, and the public has a genuine say. We work closely with plan-making teams, either carrying out the full SEA or advising them on methods so they can run parts of the process in-house.
