Impacts & Dependencies - Environmental Pressures
List of Pressures
Environmental Pressure | Explanation |
|---|---|
Freshwater Use | Freshwater area is used for the activity. Examples of metrics include area of wetland, ponds, lakes, streams, rivers or peatland necessary to provide ecosystem services such as water purification, fish spawning, areas of infrastructure necessary to use rivers and lakes such as bridges, dams, and flood barriers, etc. Impacts include hydrological changes, freshwater geomorphology and fluvial processes. |
Land Use | Activity uses land area. Example metrics include area of agriculture by type, area of forest plantation by type, area of open cast mine by type, etc. |
Ocean Use | Seabed area is used for the activity. Examples of metrics include area of aquaculture by type, area of seabed mining by type, etc. Impacts include hydrological changes, freshwater geomorphology and fluvial processes. |
Water Use | Water is used for the activity. Example metrics include volume of groundwater consumed, volume of surface water consumed, etc. |
Abiotic Resource Use | Activity extracts abiotic resources. Examples include volume of mineral extracted. |
Biotic Resource Use | Activity extracts biotic resources including fish and timber. Examples of metrics include volume of wild-caught fish by species, number of wild-caught mammals by species, volume of timber by species, etc. |
Toxic Emissions | Activity emits toxic pollutants that can directly harm organisms and the environment. Examples include volume discharged to receiving water body of toxic substances (e.g., heavy metals and chemicals). |
Non-GHG Emissions | Activity emits non GHG air pollutants. Examples include volume of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and coarse particulate matter (PM10), Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), mono-nitrogen oxides (NO and NO2, commonly referred to as NOx), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Carbon monoxide (CO), etc. |
Nutrient Emissions | Activity emits nutrient pollutants that can lead to eutrophication. Example metrics include volume discharged to receiving water body of nutrients (e.g., nitrates and phosphates). |
Solid Waste | Activity generates and releases solid waste. Example metrics include volume of waste by classification (i.e., nonhazardous, hazardous, and radioactive), by specific material constituents (e.g., lead, plastic), or by disposal method (e.g., landfill, incineration, recycling, specialist processing). |
Disturbances | Activity produces noise or light pollution that has potential to harm organisms. Examples of metrics include decibels and duration of noise, lumens and duration of light, at site of impact. |
Invasive Species | Activity directly introduces non-native invasive species into areas of operation. |
Pressures vs Impacts
Please note that Pressures and Impacts are distinct but related concepts. Pressures are the direct effects of human activities on the environment, such as resource use, emissions, or disturbances. Impacts are the resulting changes in the state of nature. As such Pressures can be viewed as causes or leading indicators of eventual negative changes in the state of nature.
This distinction follows the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) framework, widely used in environmental regulations and reporting. The ENCORE knowledge base defines pressures as measurable resource use or emissions that trigger changes in ecosystems. Some frameworks, like the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and the Natural Capital Protocol, refer to pressures as Impact Drivers.