Equality impact assessment

An equality impact assessment (EqIA) is a process designed to ensure that a policy, project or scheme does not unlawfully discriminate against any protected characteristic.
Definition.
The EqIA process aims to prevent discrimination against people who are members of a protected category. The Equality Act 2010 defines 9 protected characteristics:
Within the UK, EqIAs is a means of ensuring that the public sector equality duty is met. On 19 November 2012, then Prime Minister David Cameron announced that EqIAs would no longer be undertaken for government decisions.
Further reading.
Bainard, J., Jones, A., Bateman, I., Lovett, A. & Fallon, P. (2001) Modelling
environmental equity: access to air quality in Birmingham, England Environment and
Planning A 2002, volume 34, pages 695 – 716
Burningham, K. & Thrush, D. (2001) Local environmental concerns in disadvantaged
neighbourhoods 
Capacity Global (2004) BME Communities Tackling Environmental and Social
Inequalities 
Davies, A. and Binsted, A. (2007) Environmental Equity and Equality Impact Assessment in the United Kingdom (07-1568) - TRB Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers CD-ROM, TRB 86th Annual Meeting, Washington D.C., January 2007 
Friends of the Earth (2000) Pollution injustice 
Friends of the Earth (2001) Pollution and Poverty – Breaking the Link
Gay, R., Jeffery, B., and Saunders, P. (2005) Burden of disease: environmental
inequalities 
Greater London Authority (2003) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them 
Transport for London (2004) Equality Impact Assessments - How to do them 
Walker, G. Fairburn, J. Smith, G. and Mitchell, G. (2003) Environmental Quality and
Social Deprivation 