Our Environmental Assessment and Consenting team are pleased to announce that we have passed IEMA’s EIA Quality Mark compliance review following our recent renewal application. This pass means that Ecus continues to meet the expected standards of the EIA Quality Mark.
Key people who have contributed to the application process include Steve McQuade, who is our Head of Environmental Assessment and Consenting, our Associate Director for Green Infrastructure and Planning, Louise Dunkerly, our Practice Area Lead for Green Infrastructure, Dr Andrew Ainsworth, and our Head of Landscape Architecture, Kristina McKie.
Importance of the EIA Quality Mark
The EIA Quality Mark is a scheme operated by IEMA that allows organisations that lead the co-ordination of statutory EIAs in the UK to make a commitment to excellence in their EIA activities and have this commitment independently reviewed. The EIA Quality Mark is a voluntary scheme, with organisations free to choose whether they are ready to operate to its seven EIA Commitments.
The IEMA EIA Quality Mark was created to promote high standards in Environmental Impact Assessment and accreditation provides independent assurance that Ecus is committed to excellence in EIA delivery, and that our EIAs will be regulatory compliant to a high professional standard.
What does this mean for clients?
Our Head of Environmental Assessment and Consenting explains what this means for clients:
We are proud to have been successfully awarded the EIA quality mark again, continuing our accreditation since 2016. This independent verification by IEMA means our clients can be confident that the EIA work undertaken by Ecus continues to be robust, transparent and understandable. Our clients will know that we are committed to delivering high standards regarding the seven key commitments of EIA Management, EIA Team Capabilities, EIA Regulatory Compliance, EIA Context and Influence, EIA Content, EIA Presentation and Improving EIA Practice.
Ecus was commended on well-established project management processes and systems and good communication.
Seven key commitments
The EIA Quality Mark registrants adhere to seven key commitments, maintaining the high standards required of the organisations who take part in the scheme, like Ecus.
The commitments involve EIA management, meaning that Ecus adheres to using effective project control and management processes to deliver quality in the EIAs we co-ordinate and the Environmental Statements we produce.
Ecus commits to expanding EIA team capabilities; We commit to ensuring that all our EIA staff can undertake regular and relevant continuing professional development.
We focus on EIA regulatory compliance, committing to delivering Environmental Statements that meet the requirements established within the appropriate UK EIA Regulations.
Regarding EIA context and influence, we commit to ensuring that all EIAs we coordinate are effectively scoped and that we will transparently indicate how the EIA process, and any consultation undertaken, influenced the development proposed and any alternatives considered.
Concerning EIA content, we are committed to undertaking assessments that include: a robust analysis of the relevant baseline; assessment and transparent evaluation of impact significance; and an effective description of measures designed to monitor and manage significant effects.
We commit to ensuring that our EIA presentation delivers Environmental Statements that set out environmental information in a transparent and understandable manner.
Finally, we improve EIA practice: We commit to enhance the profile of good quality EIA by working with IEMA to deliver a mutually agreed set of activities, on an annual basis, and by making appropriate examples of our work available to the wider EIA community.
If you have any questions about our EAC services, don’t hesitate to get in contact: T: +44 (0)114 266 9292 E: contactus@ecusltd.co.uk
