Delivering a practical checklist for integrating biodiversity and climate change into Strategic Environmental Assessment

Biodiversity and climate change represent two of the major global concerns that are interconnected and mutually dependent planetary boundaries. Dealing with biodiversity and climate change issues demands strategic integration into planning instruments. This paper proposes a practical checklist of best practices for incorporating these themes into Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), based on literature, international guidelines, and case studies. The checklist was tested in a Brazilian SEA report (Solimões Sedimentary Area Environmental Assessment) where biodiversity and climate change issues play a pivotal role. This application reveals deeper consideration of biodiversity compared to climate change. The proposed checklist is a practical and strategic tool to assess and guide the integration of biodiversity and climate change in SEA, supporting the development of plans, programs, and policies that are better aligned with today’s urgent environmental challenges.