By Jessica Wentz
This paper outlines a set of model protocols for assessing the impacts of climate change on projects undergoing environmental reviews in accordance with NEPA and state equivalents. In addition, the paper describes: (i) the rationale for integrating climate impact considerations into environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes, (ii) the legal basis for requiring agencies to evaluate climate impacts during reviews conducted under NEPA and other EIA laws, (iii) a survey of existing guidelines for such evaluations, (iv) a survey of how climate change impacts are evaluated in recent federal EISs, and (v) a summary of outcomes from a stakeholder workshop convened to discuss the development of these protocols. This abridged version was published in Volume 45 of Environmental Law Reporter.
Read the article Abridged Version: Assessing the Impacts of Climate Change on the Built Environment under NEPA and State EIA Laws: A Survey of Current Practices and Recommendations for Model Protocols in Columbia Law School's Scholarship Archive.