This strategy features in the framework of Agenda 21 as formulated at UNCED (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), now coordinated by the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development and implemented through national and local authorities.
Of concern for biodiversity conservation is the fact that EIAs are often project-based, fail to consider cumulative environmental impacts within the bioregion, and take a piecemeal approach when considering impacts on biodiversity. To overcome these concerns many argue that EIAs should be undertaken not only for projects, but for programmes and policies, and should improve integration between the varied biological assessments often undertaken for a single project.
Skeptics of the EIS system also point out that EIAs are severely compromised by being funded and having their terms of reference set by the project proponent.