Ethical Responsibilities

IAIA is committed to ethical and professional practice in all its operations. The statements below represent the foundational philosophy that underpins all IAIA activities and should inform the practice of its members. IAIA encourages the professional development of its members and environmental professionals and industry generally by providing a range of documents on best practice in impact assessment and related topics, some of which have been translated into other languages.

Professional Responsibilities

IAIA as an organization promotes the following:

We compile or review impact assessments with integrity and honesty, and free from misrepresentation or deliberate bias.
Our personal beliefs should not interfere with fair representation of the potential impacts of policies, plans, programs, and projects.
We uphold the principle of freedom of access to information and the right of citizens to participate in decisions that affect them.
We seek sustainable and equitable outcomes from human actions that affect ecosystems and people.
We seek a process of impact assessment that averts infringement of the human rights of any section of society.
We do not condone the use of violence, harassment, intimidation, or undue force in connection with any aspect of impact assessment or its implementation.
We believe impact assessments should integrate social, cultural and health impacts with impacts on the biophysical environment and earth systems, including climate and biodiversity.
We know that different groups in society experience benefits and harm in different ways. We strive to promote considerations of equity as a fundamental element of impact assessment. We seek to take gender and other social differences into account, and we are especially mindful of the concerns of Indigenous peoples.
We give due regard to the rights and interests of future generations.
We strive for excellence by maintaining and enhancing our own knowledge and skills, by encouraging the professional development of co-workers, and by fostering the aspirations of potential members of the profession.
We do not advance our private interests to the detriment of the public, our clients or employing institutions.

Business Operations

To give effect to the IAIA value of promoting sustainability in the Association’s business practices, the Association has adopted the following internal policy to guide its activities.

The objective of IAIA management is to adopt business practices that make a positive difference to environmental sustainability. As a business operation, IAIA is committed to adapting our activities, products and services with consideration for a sustainable environment by:

Managing and monitoring the effects of our activities on the environment, especially with regard to minimizing the impacts from travel and resource use related to IAIA conferences and meetings.
Maximizing the positive impact IAIA’s resources and networks can have on members and others in promoting best practice in environmental assessment.
To the extent possible, purchasing environmentally friendly products and services from vendors who have a commitment to caring for the environment.
Supporting the training of staff to ensure they have sufficient knowledge of good environmental business practices to do the jobs they do for IAIA with a care and concern for the environment.
Establishing investment policies that reﬂect our commitment to the environment.
Recycling/reusing paper and disposable goods and evaluating alternatives to the use of such products.
Purchasing office equipment, furnishings and ﬁxtures that conserve natural resources and minimize environmental pollutants to the extent possible in a conventionally leased space.
Controlling the office environment with natural light and ventilation to the extent possible.
Establishing staff work schedules that minimize travel without compromising service to membership or staff communication.
Operating with paperless billing and service provision to the greatest extent possible.
Reviewing our practices regularly to find additional means of doing business in the most environmentally conscientious way possible.

Ethical Responsibilities

Professional Responsibilities

Business Operations

IAIA is committed to ethical and professional practice in all its operations.

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