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Possible Solutions - Environment Technology Assessment

Introduction

Technology Assessment (TA) is a tool to help decision-makers understand the likely impact of the use of a new technology. The assessment process looks at the costs of the technology, the monetary benefits, and its environmental, social and political impacts.

Environmental technology assessments specifically analyse a technology's implications for human health, natural resources and ecosystems. The goal of ETA (also called EnTA) is to assist in making informed choices on technologies that are compatible with sound environmental performance; through the use of ETA more information is gained about new technologies and potential environmental problems and costs can be identified and avoided from the outset.

Key elements

Description of the technology – the goal it intends to satisfy, the stakeholders, the characteristics of the technology, etc.
Assessment of the environmental pressure and impacts of using the technology – resource, labour, infrastructure and supporting technologies required;
Evaluation of environmental risks and significance of the impacts;
Comparative assessment of alternative technologies;
Recommendations on technology choices.

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Further Information

UNEP DTIE – EnTA Programme [http://unepie.org/pc/pc/tools/enta.htm] - This site provides a brief overview of what environmental technology assessment is and how it can be applied. It provides links to other relevant websites and sources of information.

Clean Technology Centre – Cork Institute of Technology [http://www.leonardo-ireland.com/leonardo1/envir.html] - This website provides information on its research activities and other projects. Users have access to information resources, publications and articles, as well as a series of links to other websites on cleaner technologies.

Thailand Environment Institute (TEI) [http://www.tei.or.th/] - This website provides information on technology both within and outside of Thailand. A key element of this site is the Cleaner Technology Information Center (CTIC) which provides an on-line searchable database on cleaner technologies. There are also links to on-going cleaner technology projects and other relevant sites.

Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment [http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/pubs/garment/ctsa/] - This site describes a publication on the methods and resources needed to conduct a Cleaner Technologies Substitutes Assessment (CTSA), a methodology for evaluating the comparative risk, performance, cost, and resource conservation of alternatives to chemicals currently used by specific industry sectors. The CTSA methodology was developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Design for the Environment (DfE) Program, the University of Tennessee Center for Clean Products and Clean Technologies, and other partners in voluntary, co-operative, industry-specific pilot projects.

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Last Update: 10 August, 2001