Abstract
When developing projects, we speak of limiting their impacts. The best way to do that is by implementing the Mitigation Hierarchy:
- If you can, enhance positive effects;
- Avoid negative effects first;
- Minimize / reduce / control effect that cannot be avoided;
- Remedy or restore effect that cannot be minimized;
- Compensate for effects that cannot be remedied.
To successfully apply the Mitigation Hierarchy, avoidance must start early in project development and the engineering cycle. At Ausenco, our engineering and sustainability teams understand the value of working together early in order to identify risk reduction opportunities. Early-stage engineering can benefit from the identification of environmental and social risks in time to optimize plans and vice-versa. We consider alternatives along with other ways to avoid and minimize risks.
Our case studies will demonstrate how engineering and sustainability teams work together to ensure that engineering optimizes, rather than delays, environmental and permitting, and that environmental and permitting informs engineering. Examples of avoidance will be provided as well as project footprint and risk reduction to ensure that projects are done in the most sustainable way.
De-Risking also includes pinpointing potential fatal flaws from an environmental and social perspective with the ultimate goal of improving a project overall.
Case studies will include examples from the Preliminary Economic Assessment stage where economic, engineering, environmental, social and regulatory aspects have been looked at to optimize layouts or technology to de-risk the project.