Email: pete@esiaconsult.com
Peter Wulf is an International Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Climate Change and Legal Specialist with a background as a Scientist, Barrister, Tribunal Member and Team/Project Director. Peter has over 28 years' experience leading climate change, conservation, environmental, fisheries, legal, natural resource, catchment and marine protected area management, research and multi-disciplinary projects in over 60 countries.
Peter’s scientific experience is based on his training as a biologist/ecologist backed up by his extensive conservation and environmental skills. Peter has led and written very large and complex environmental, environmental and social, cumulative and strategic impact assessments (+150) with his specialty being marine infrastructure projects that potentially impact estuarine, wetland and marine ecosystems (including coastal, dredging, fisheries and marine protected area management); catchment and natural resource management; and other studies assessing the effects of marine habitat modification/disturbance. Peter’s projects include aquaculture, dams, geothermal, mines, power generation and distribution, oil and gas (including CSG and LPG – upstream/offshore, pipelines and port), road, rail, telecommunications, waste water treatment plants and ocean outfalls, water pipelines, wind farms and very large port developments internationally. Peter also has extensive experience developing sustainability and climate change law/plans/policies and environmental management systems; and has led extensive climate change assessments, mitigation and adaptation risk analyses.
Peter led the Abbot Point Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA), the first project of its type ever undertaken. The CIA balanced the competing commercial interests of four proponents developing seven projects at the Port of Abbot Point in Queensland, Australia. The CIA is recognised by regulators, industry and internationally organisations as world’s good practice and its methodology was far more encompassing than standard cumulative impact assessments including 16 technical studies including underwater noise, shipping, fisheries, hydrodynamic modelling, wetland ecology, avian surveys etc. The CIA also included the development of the Joint Environmental Management Framework, the first adaptive port-wide management plan for all current, proposed and future projects. The projects, once fully developed, will be valued at approximately $40 Billion USD. Peter also led the EIS for a greenfield port at Anketell Point, the largest port in the world.
Peter also works extensively in catchment and natural resource management and has spent 20 years undertaking agricultural research. His specialties is water management, water quality and diffuse land based pollution, with his PhD investigating runoff from agriculture entering the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and the regulatory/non-regulatory arrangements to manage these input.
Peter is regularly engaged by Proponents, Governments, World Bank, IFC, ADB and NGOs to undertake due diligence and peer-review of environmental and social impact assessments and provided advice on their content, accuracy and potential conditions could/should be included in any approval. Peter has developed an excellent relationship with regulators which allows for open discussion to achieve mutually acceptable outcomes. Peter is also regularly sought after for his frank and honest appraisal of issues, with his ultimate goal being to resolve the difficult issues through strategic decision making that protects the environment while achieving the needs of his clients. Peter also has extensive experience in capacity development and training within all levels of Asia Pacific Governments on climate change, environmental and social safeguards, fisheries management and environmental law topics.
Peter has degrees in Law and is admitted as a Barrister. He is a Member (part time judge) of numerous Australian Tribunals. Peter practices in administrative, fisheries, international and domestic environmental law and has developed environmental and fisheries law/policy/guidelines and led significant environmental throughout the Asia Pacific. As a mediator/negotiator, Peter can achieve win-win outcomes for all parties.
Peter is the Managing Director of ESIA Consult, an international consulting firm.
