EIA Community Discussion: Digging into digital – efficiencies and ethics

This event has been organised by the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Community, in collaboration with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA). 

Digital and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools are transforming ways of working in the environmental and archaeological sectors. This event brings together members from the IES and CIfA to share knowledge, discuss solutions, and hear from expert speakers. 

Join us for a timely online discussion on the promise and pitfalls of digital working. We’ll explore how digitised workflows and AI can drive efficiency, collaboration and insight—while also examining their carbon footprints, energy demands, and ethical implications. 

The event will feature lightning provocations on topics ranging from the use of AI in environmental projects, the carbon footprint of digital working and archiving, and how digital can support improved accessibility and engagement. 

This is an interactive discussion intended for anyone interested in exploring the impacts of digital in the sector, including EIA professionals, planners and those working in archaeology and heritage assessment. 

Our speakers

Claire Marchetti: Digital/AI and Environment – how we can make a tripod instead of a seesaw

Claire is Carbon and Sustainability Manager at Historic England. Claire supports Historic England’s transition to net zero and becoming a more sustainable organisation through its Carbon and Sustainability Plan and sustainability reporting. Her background is in project management, by way of National Highways – working on projects such as the Dart Charge re-procurement and their net zero plan, and the National Trust. She has had a varied career, including volunteering and being a live-in carer. The latter is one of the reasons Claire champions accessibility throughout her work.

In her spare time, Claire likes to volunteer, working in woodland management and trying to improve her skills as a hedgelayer as well as her abysmal knowledge of flora, fauna, and folklore.

Laura O’Connor: Digital and AI Tools in Heritage Practice: Opportunities and Risks

Laura is Senior Digital Innovation Programme Officer at Historic Environment Scotland and Chair of CIfA’s Information Management Group. With 18+ years in archaeological survey and mapping, she has delivered major digital documentation and archaeological survey projects at sites including HS2, the Roman Baths, Skara Brae, Stirling Castle, Mousa Broch, and Crumlin Road Courthouse.

Alistair Walker: Digital EIA and AI in practice

Alistair is a Technical Director of the EIA team at Lanpro. A chartered environmentalist with IES, he has over 14 years’ experience working in environmental planning across a range of sectors and regimes. He is a thought leader in digital EIA, having pioneered and collaborated on the primary digital research of EIA practices in the UK of the last decade. Publications include research and guidance from 2020 (Connected Places Catapult and others), (ISEP – Digital EIA Primer) and, more recently in 2025, on use of AI in the sector (ISEP – AI in EIA Advice Note and Guidelines).

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