Decision-making about project design changes during impact assessment review: theories of corporate voluntary environmental behaviours

Impact assessment (IA) can play an important role in informing and improving project design, particularly when viewed and used by proponents as a planning tool rather than a means of obtaining regulatory approval for a predetermined project concept. There has, however, been limited consideration of proponent decision-making about voluntary project design modifications during IA. This paper reviews various theories of corporate voluntary environmental behaviours to evaluate their applicability and utility in this context. It finds that these do address some known or potential rationales for IA-related design changes and show general alignment with previous research on this topic, as well as highlighting some further possible motivations and approaches. Future research should focus on understanding how such decisions are actually made by proponents, including the development of new decision models that address how multiple factors may be considered, balanced and ultimately influential, and which reflect the IA context in general.