Assessment and Mitigation of Air Quality Impacts on Biodiversity CIEEM on March 04, 2020 in Sheffield, United Kingdom

The adverse impacts of air quality upon biodiversity has been long recognised in the peer review literature dating back to the 1970s however, it is only in the last few years that the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition have been taken serious by ecological practitioners. Robust assessment of air quality issues has been forced up the agenda by legal challenge such as the now infamous ‘Ashdown Forest’ case and the now equally notorious ‘Dutch’ case. Despite these landmark decisions, there is still no clear direction on what constitutes good practice. Whilst guidance on air quality impact assessment may be challenging, can we identify some principles to use as the basis for developing assessment approaches?

Drawing on the latest research and approaches taken across the UK, Ireland and beyond, this conference will bring together ecologists and environmental managers, air quality professionals and planners to explore the basis for robust impact assessment strategies. It will go on to explore the effectiveness of transferable mitigation techniques to protect sensitive flora and fauna.