In this paper, we introduce and test a framework to qualitatively assess the environmental impact of climate adaptation innovations with the ambition to facilitate the implementation of these adaptations. The framework was designed to enable continuous environmentally conscious benchmarking based on three environmental performance indicators: sustainable design, environmental impact and ecological impact. It was pilot tested by uninvolved experts and key-persons for two large-scale nature-based flood adaptation innovations in the Netherlands and discussed with environmental assessment professionals. Our findings indicate how the inclusion of our framework helps to identify important knowledge gaps regarding environmental co-benefits and trade-offs, and can be beneficial to both those developing the innovation and the local authorities charged with assessing the suitability of innovations. We conclude by noting how the incorporation of environmental impact assessment from the design stage of adaptations could supplement existing environmental assessment regulations pre-empting concerns rather than reacting to them.

在本文中，我们介绍并测试了一个框架，以定性评估气候适应创新对环境的影响，以促进这些适应的实施。该框架旨在实现基于三个环境绩效指标的持续环境意识基准测试：可持续设计、环境影响和生态影响。它由未参与的专家和关键人物在荷兰进行了两项基于自然的大规模洪水适应创新的试点测试，并与环境评估专业人士进行了讨论。我们的研究结果表明，纳入我们的框架如何有助于确定有关环境协同效益和权衡的重要知识差距，并且对那些开发创新的人和负责评估创新适用性的地方当局都是有益的。最后，我们指出从适应的设计阶段纳入环境影响评估如何可以补充现有的环境评估法规，先发制人而不是对它们做出反应。