Loading
There have been environmental assessment requirements passed in a variety of nations since the late 20th century. These acts are designed to provide some insight into the environmental costs of development. This type of legislation has moved, in the minds of the public and in the minds of legislators, from a sort of activist-driven law to a necessary part of how a community or a nation determines the overall impacts of any development on the shared natural resources that constitute so much of a nation or community's real wealth. This type of legislation generally has some common requirements no matter where it's passed and they have become more similar over time.
Most developers and businesses will be required to undertake an environmental assessment to determine the amount of potential impact any planned development will have on local resources. This generally differs significantly in scope dependent upon what type of development is planned. For example, a simple housing development plan may be required to include impact statements regarding the amount of land the development will utilize while a new manufacturing facility may be required to give detailed assessments of how much water, air and land pollution will result as a consequence of their new business venture.
In the past, environmental impacts were generally not given too much consideration and simply saying that a development or a business would have 'minimal' impact was generally enough to get a project cleared. Today, the various legal acts require that the services of several companies and individuals be engaged to make certain of exactly what consequences will manifest. While developers could even sometimes get away with saying that a development would have no impact in the past, science has advanced to the point where communities are well aware that any development most certainly will impact the local environment.
As it turns out, though they were generally fought by businesses, these requirements have created advantages for the business community. For instance, a business, by complying with these acts, can get a realistic determination of the costs of doing business over the long term. The businesses will generally be held responsible for any cleanup or environmental impacts which they incur and knowing in advance what these might be helps businesses to determine very accurately the future costs of operating which has significant advantages when planning their future in any community where they decide to set up shop.