EnTA WORKSHOP REPORT

22 - 25 February 2000

Manila, Republic of the Philippines

This document reports on the conduct and outcome of an International Workshop on Environmental Technology Assessment (EnTA), held in Manila, Republic of the Philippines, 22-25 February 2000.

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in conjunction with the International Lead Management Centre (ILMC) and the Carl Duisberg Gesellschaft (CDG), convened a participatory training workshop designed to familiarise participants with the Environmental Technology Assessment (EnTA) process and to develop their understanding by engaging them in a practical application of the EnTA methodology, using automotive battery recycling as a case study. UNEP viewed the workshop as part of its efforts to encourage the uptake of EnTA, including training in, and evaluation of, its new environmental technology assessment (EnTA) Manual, Anticipating the Environmental Effects of Technology.

The 46 workshop delegates and other participants were drawn from a pool of government environmental officials, industrial process and environmental managers, and representatives of educational institutions and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from the ASEAN region, and from selected countries in transition. Importantly, the workshop organisers achieved an appropriate mix of participants from the private sector, regulatory bodies, policy makers, educators and NGOs.

The workshop programme included presentations and discussions on environmental assessment techniques, the economics of sustainable environmentally sound battery recycling, construction and design of the modern recyclable lead acid battery, principles of hydro-metallurgical and pyro-metallurgical battery recycling, and the methods and practices of EnTA, as well as a practical, field-based assessment exercise in EnTA. Personal follow-up action plans were prepared by the trainees.

As a result of the workshop, 40 participants are now trained in the use of EnTA. Considerable progress was also made towards publication of an evaluated and revised EnTA Manual, ready for worldwide use by Governments and industry as a selection tool for sound environmental management of recycling and other processes, preparation of a model workshop, and publication of a trainers' manual. The workshop thus contributed to international advanced training, to dialogue and to human resources development, including international know-how transfer between North and South, and East and West.

Please download the Workshop Report for details.