IAIA's Climate Change Position Statement
In March 2020, the IAIA Board of Directors took a historic step by adopting the organization’s very first Position Statement — on climate change. Shortly after, the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, so we delayed releasing the statement until now.
As the world confronts global unemployment, economic uncertainty, and COVID-19 recovery, the climate emergency continues, with profound implications for human health, socio-economic well-being, and environmental quality. Supporting decision makers in managing these implications is central to IAIA’s mission to advance best practice and innovation in impact assessment.
We are pleased to share the statement in full:
Since the Board approved the statement, IAIA’s Climate Change Section has been working diligently to develop the Action Plan referenced at its conclusion. The Board recently approved this Action Plan, and while it is too detailed to fully outline here, we are pleased to share some key elements designed to enhance the application of impact assessment (IA) in addressing climate change:
Leverage IAIA’s Observer role to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support actions under the Paris Agreement and advocate for the Conference of the Parties and UNFCCC to promote the precautionary use of IA processes as critical climate change adaptation and mitigation tools.
Pursue Observer status with the Arctic Council and offer IA expertise — including tools and methodologies — in areas of interest to the Council’s Working Groups (e.g., Indigenous Youth, Climate Change, Energy, Social, Health, Resilience).
Engage directly with institutional investors, the insurance industry, and risk analysts on the importance of IA, given these sectors’ significant influence on the long-term sustainability of policies, programs, and projects, including those addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Build meaningful relationships with journalists in both social and traditional media to foster better communication between IA practitioners, policymakers, and the public.
This is an exciting milestone for IAIA. After decades of believing it could not formally express an opinion on public policy issues, IAIA is now using its collective voice to support members, affected parties, decision makers, and society at large — truly living up to our mission of working “for the betterment of society and the environment.”
See selected elements under the IAIA Climate Change Action plan here:
