Environmental issues are defining a new agenda for offshore
energy research and development
Thereisincreasingrecognition
of theneedtoaddresstheenvironmentalimplicationsofenergy
developmentearlyintheplanningprocess,beforeirreversible
decisions aretakenandenergyprojectsbecomeareality,atthe
strategictierofpoliciesandplans [1–3]. Thishigher-orderenviron-
mental assessment,knownasstrategicenvironmentalassessment
(SEA),hasgainedconsiderablemomentuminrecentyearsandis
now adoptedinapproximately60countriesglobally [4]
defining
agenda