The Chair Eco-design of buildings and infrastructure, a partnership between three engineering colleges (MINES ParisTech, Ecole des Ponts ParisTech and AgroParisTech) and the VINCI group, aims to create measurement and simulation tools which integrate all the dimensions of eco-design (greenhouse gas emissions, impact on biodiversity and resource levies, etc.) to become real decision-making tools, based on a scientific approach, for all actors in the city (designers, builders and users). This book reviews the second five-year sequence of the Chair, first presenting methodological advances in eco-design: life cycle assessment and quantification of uncertainties; local environmental impacts of transport and biodiversity. The interdisciplinary partnership, also associating the human sciences, shows its interest in taking into account the human factor in the modelling of urban systems. This modelling is based on several numerical simulation tools, presented in the third part. This theoretical set results in more substantial proposals for the renewal of techniques and systems, in terms of energy management strategies in buildings, urban agriculture, participatory data collection and digital transformation in transport. This book is intended for urban planners, local authorities, building owners, architects, design offices, companies, building managers, teacher-researchers and anyone interested in the environmental quality of our living spaces.

« Éviter, réduire, compenser » n’est pas un slogan, mais une séquence juridique qui fixe les trois objectifs progressifs essentiels qui constituent l’une des principales clés de la politique française de protection de la biodiversité. Cette séquence impose, pour tout projet, plan, programme ou aménagement quiaffecte l’environnement, d’abord d’éviter d’y porter atteinte, ensuite de réduire les impacts connus et, en dernier lieu, de compenser ceux qui n’ont pu être ni évités, ni suffisamment réduits.Cet ouvrage, qui permet de passer des grands principes à la pratique, propose une présentation d’ensemble de l’arsenal législatif et réglementaire disponible (loi sur la reconquête de la biodiversité, de la nature et des paysages de 2016 et les apports de la loi portant lutte contre le dérèglement climatique et renforcement de la résilience face à ses effets) et des différentes jurisprudences permettant d’apprécier la réelle efficacité du dispositif.Malgré un sujet très peu développé par les dispositions législatives et réglementaires, cet ouvrage :– définit les notions juridiques de la séquence dite « ERC » (partie 1) ;– détaille le champ d’application et sa mise en oeuvre par le droit public (partie 2) ;– explique sa mise en oeuvre par le droit privé (partie 3) ;– et enfin, précise les éléments de contrôle et de sanction de la séquence ERC tout en abordant ses aspects contentieux (partie 4). Cet ouvrage permet aux juristes d’avoir une connaissance précise du sujet mais, au-delà, à tous les citoyens, qui ont pris conscience de l’enjeu de la biodiversité au même titre que de celui du climat, de comprendre les enjeux juridiques de la séquence « ERC ».

The world's ecosystems are increasingly threatened by human development. Ecological impact assessment (EcIA) is used to predict and evaluate the impacts of development on ecosystems and their components,thereby providing the information needed to ensure that ecological issues are given full and proper consideration in development planning. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has emerged as a key to sustainable development by integrating social, economic and environmental issues in many countries. EcIA has a major part to play as a component of EIA but also has other potential applications in environmental planning and management. Ecological Impact Assessment provides a comprehensive review of the EcIA process and summarizes the ecological theories and tools that can be used to understand, explain and evaluate the ecological consequences of development proposals. It is intended for the many individuals and companies involved in EIA and EcIA, as well as other areas of environmental management where impacts on ecosystems need to be evaluated. It will benefit planners, regulators, environmental consultants and scientists and will also provide an invaluable sourcebook and guide for the growing number of undergraduate students taking courses in applied ecology, EIA and related topics in environmental science. A practical management guide for the increasing numbers of practitioners of EcIA. A rapidly expanding subject driven by the proliferation of environmental legislation worldwide.

This book deals with the new concept of biodiversity offsets. The aim of offsetting schemes is to achieve no let loss or even net gain of biodiversity. Offsets obey a mitigation hierarchy and reflect the precautionary and polluter-pays principle in regard to project impacts. Readers gain insights into current debates on biodiversity policies, with top experts outlining theoretical principles and the latest research findings. At the same time the focus is on practical application and case studies. Today there is a lively international discussion among practitioners and scientists on the optimal legal framework, metrics and design of habitat banks to ensure the success of biodiversity offsets and to minimise the risks of failure or misuse. Contributing to the debate, this volume presents the activities and practices of biodiversity offsetting already implemented in Europe in selected EU member states, and the lessons that can be learnt from them. Readers may be surprised at how much experience already exists in these countries. A further aim of the book is to offer grounded insights on the road ahead, and foster a more intensive and fruitful discussion on how offsetting can be extended and improved upon, so that it becomes a key and effective component of Europe’s biodiversity conservation policy framework.

We live in turbulent times with continents and nations facing ever-heightening risks such as natural disasters, intense and protracted conflicts, terrorism, corporate crises, cyber threats to infrastructures and mega-events. We are witnessing the rise of mega-crises and a new class of adversity with many unknowns. The prospect of mega-crises presents professionals and students in the field of crisis management with four major tasks. First, they should engage in “deep thinking” about the causes of the increasing occurrence of mega-crises. Second, they should identify and work through the dominant trends which complicate contemporary crisis management. Third, they should upgrade institutional crisis management capacity. Fourth, they should improve societal resilience since no institutional complex can mitigate or manage these mega-crisis on its own. This book is divided into four primary parts, each of which looks at one facet of mega-crises. Part I focuses on the concept of a mega-crisis and mega-crisis management; Part II examines crisis management of mega-natural disasters; Part III evaluates crisis management of man-made mega-crises; and Part IV identifies mega-threats and vulnerabilities. Additional major topics include Hurricane Katrina; Hurricane Gustav; the London Bombings; the Mumbai Terrorist Attacks of July 7, 2005; corporate meltdowns; the subprime crisis; the Olympic Games; electricity grids; global climate change; the Dutch Delta; risks to food security; and mega-crises and the Internet. This comprehensive text will provide practitioners and academics with the results of an across-the-board research effort in the prospects, nature, characteristics, and the effects of mega-crises.