The Environmental Management (EM) Tool Box includes a range of decision support tools that can assist decision makers to improve the environmental outcomes of their management decisions. Understanding the differences between the different decision support tools can help you decide which tool you should use, or recommend in a particular situation. For example, while an EIA is typically undertaken to gain regulatory approval for a project, an ERA is voluntary and can be carried out at any time.

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Scoping Stage The initial phase of policy making, planning and project design, when the broad dimensions of the initiative, critical success factors and sources of significant risk are identified and elaborated through a consultative process with stakeholders, and used subsequently to make recommendations and decisions as to the conceptual design and overall economic viability, social acceptability and environmental sustainability of the proposed activity.	Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) A systematic process for evaluating the environmental consequences of policies, plans, programmes or proposals, to ensure that they are addressed early in the decision making process and on par with economic and social considerations and. Undertaking strategic environmental assessments can also contribute to sustainable development goals, promote accountability and credibility among the general public and specific stakeholders, and lead to broader policy coherence. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Facilitates evaluation of how and to what extent a process or product system impacts on the environment, for all stages of its life cycle. The typical life cycle consists of a series of stages running from extraction of raw materials, through design and formulation, processing, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, re-use, recycling and, ultimately, waste disposal. With the entire product life cycle as the focus for the assessment, a complicated picture can often emerge, with environmentally significant inputs and outputs to air, water and soil identified at every life cycle stage. Unexpected impacts, or benefits, will often be associated with some of the co-products or by-products which are produced by a given process. Environmental Technology Assessment (ETA) A systematic procedure whereby a proposed technology intervention is described and appraised in terms of its potential influence on the environment, the implications for sustainable development and the likely cultural and socio-economic consequences. The assessment process requires consideration of alternative technologies, and other options, thereby providing a mechanism for comparing the impact of a variety of possible interventions. Thus EnTA helps planners, decision makers in government, the private sector, communities and other stakeholders, to reach a consensus on the technology intervention that is expected to be the most environmentally sound, socially acceptable and economically viable, for a specified location and application.
Design and Approval Stage The phase of policy making, planning and project design and approval when the specific details of the proposed activity, including the desired end results, are developed and described, taking into account the objectives, stakeholder views, regulatory and other requirements and best practices in design and implementation.	Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) A structured procedure designed to help ensure that development and investment proposals, activities, projects and programmes are environmentally sound and sustainable. EIA facilitates identification, analysis and evaluation of the significance of the potential environmental impacts and the identification and elaboration of measures that will avoid, remedy or mitigate any adverse impacts. It allows informed decision making as to whether a proposal should proceed and, if so, under what conditions. It also establishes a monitoring and environmental management regime for implementing mitigation measures, monitoring impacts for compliance and ascertaining if impacts are as predicted. Social Impact Asessment (SIA) If there is a need for a more comprehensive, in depth and rigorous determination of the impacts a given policy, plan, programme, project, activity or action may have on the social aspects of the environment, SIA is an appropriate tool. A basic part of SIA is to analyze who wins and who loses with each alternative considered, and to determine whether an alternative may have high and disproportionate adverse environmental or health effects on a low-income population or a minority population. Impact equity must be considered in close and sympathetic consultation with affected communities, neighbourhoods, and groups, especially low-income and minority groups. Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) All decisions and actions have environmental consequences, many of which are unintended. Thus no part of existence is risk free. Risk is the likelihood that a harmful consequence will occur as a result of an action. EnRA determines the potential impact of a chemical or physical agent on ecosystems, habitats and other ecological resources, and on human health and well being. The assessment can be either qualitative or semi-quantitative. Two further steps are integral to risk assessment, namely risk management and risk communication. The use of EnRA in environmental planning and management is fast becoming a standard practice, either as a stand alone procedure or as a support or complement to an EIA. Appropriate use of EnRA will identify situations of potential environmental concern and allow decision makers to select management options with the least, and still acceptable level of risk. Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA) This is one way to organize, evaluate, and present information that will improve the quality of decision making, by using as a metric a monetary measure of the aggregate change in environmental (including human) well-being resulting from a decision. Individual welfare is assumed to depend on the satisfaction of individual preferences, and monetary measures of welfare change are derived by observing how much individuals are willing to pay, i.e., willing to give up in terms of other consumption opportunities. This approach can be applied to nonmarket "public goods" like environmental quality or environmental risk reduction as well as to market goods and services, although the measurement of nonmarket values is more challenging. Because of this need to place monetary values on attributes of human well-being for which no market prices exist, CBA is often complicated, expensive and somewhat controversial.
Operational Stage The implementation stage, when policy is made, plans are developed and projects are undertaken. Throughout this stage monitoring and review procedures are used to foster a process of continual improvement, by identifying and reinforcing successful activities and actions, and by identifying and revising or halting unsuccessful activities and actions.	Environmental Management Systems (EMS) A systematic way to ensure environmental issues are managed consistently and systematically throughout an organization. An EMS can also assist an organization to address environmental issues in a comprehensive manner, sending positive signals to clients, consumers, regulators and other stakeholders indicating that environmental issues are being seriously considered. Effectively applied, an EMS can help integrate environmental considerations with an organization’s overall management system. It sets out environmental policies, objectives and targets for an organization, with pre-determined indicators that provide measurable goals, and a means of determining if the performance level has been reached. Often these are the same performance indicators that are chosen for strategic reasons. Environmental Reporting (ER) Reporting on environmental policies, targets, performance and plans to improve, whether it be by a company an institution, a country, or some other entity, can help improve environmental and wider reputations, aid communication with a wide variety of stakeholders, play a major role in improving management of risk and help identify opportunities for savings in resources used, wastes produced and operating costs. Several codes and some major organisations are moving towards wider sustainable development reporting. This also covers social and economic impacts. Many companies are finding that others in their supply chains want to do business with like-minded suppliers and are beginning to ask for evidence of environmental engagement. Investors too are increasingly aware of environmental performance. Organisations that do not report on environmental performance will likely have more difficulty gaining access to capital, while those that can demonstrate attention to environmental management may well benefit from easier credit and lower insurance premiums. Environmental Audit (EA) A systematic, periodic and documented verification process that obtains and evaluates objectively the available evidence, to determine whether specified activities, events, conditions, equipment, management systems and organisations, or information about these matters, conform with environmental audit criteria. The results of this process are communicated to the client and other appropriate stakeholders. An EA will often facilitate management control of environmental practices and assess compliance with policies that would include meeting or exceeding regulatory requirements.

Source: UNEP-International Environmental Technology Center