Reverse Environmental Impact Analysis: Effect of Climate Change on Projects

Environmental impact statements (EISs) examine the effect of proposed action- typically a construction project, but sometimes a government policy or other activity- on the environment. However, increasing attention is now devoted to looking in the other direction- at how changes in the environment might affect a project. This article explores the protocols that various government agencies have issued for reverse environmental impact analysis. It then discusses one pending case on the issue involving the California Environmental Quality Act. Then, it reports on a survey that investigated whether and how reverse environmental impact analysis is being performed in recent EISs. And lastly, it summarizes this analysis in a number of EISs.