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framework
s principal mechanisms for advancing its ends are the assess-
ment of alternatives against criteria by which their compatibility with
objectives for ecological protection can be judged and the development
of strategies for increasing reliance on preferred alternatives. These mech-
anisms operate together to produce visions of futures in which anthropo-
genic stresses on the natural world are lessened, and scenarios that explore
how those visions might be realised for use both in public discussion of
what actions we should take to reduce risks of ecological harm in the face
of uncertainty, and, ultimately, for decision-making on policy contents.
A legal framework that requires an ecological focus in policy-making
is desirable in a number of respects. The loss of resilience is, to a large
extent, a product of the combined effects of our activities on ecosystems.
It is through consideration of the direct impacts that the choices we
make have and the preference in all aspects of policy-making for the least
ecologically consequential options that anthropogenic stresses might
best be controlled. In addition, direct effects are, themselves, the product
of unsustainable patterns of consumption. Policy choices can serve
either to entrench these patterns or to promote economic and social
change.Accordingly,itisatthislevelofdecision-makingthatmostcan
be done to address the underlying drivers of ecological degradation.
Current practice of environmental policy assessment is far removed
from the proposals made in this chapter. The conduct of assessments
that examine policy proposals explicitly from an environmental perspec-
tive is limited to a small group of developed countries and international
institutions.
47
Techniques used are mostly derived from environmental
impact assessment and concerned only with predicting the effects of
policies rather than exploring whether they are capable of delivering an
environmentally desirable future.
48
The assessment processes them-
selves are, for the most part, not legally required, informal and lacking
in transparency.
49
In contrast, some form of general policy assessment
has become widespread in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation
'
47
K. Ahmed and E. Sánchez-Triana,
'
Strategic Environmental Assessment and Policy
Formation
in K. Ahmed and E. Sánchez-Triana (eds) Strategic Environmental
Assessment for Policies: An Instrument for Good Governance (Washington, DC: The
World Bank, 2008), pp. 5
'
Strategic Environmental Assessment at the
Policy Level: Recent Progress, Current Status and Future Prospects
-
6; B. Sadler (ed.)
'
(report produced for
the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe,
2005
), p. 1, pp. 13
'
-
14.
48
Sadler,
'
Strategic Environmental Assessment
'
,pp.15
-
16.
49
Ibid
., pp. 11
-
28. See also Jordan and Lenschow,
'
Environmental Policy Integration
'
,
152
-
3.
