National Advisory Council for

Environmental Policy and Technology

March #, 2013

The Honorable Robert Perciasepe

Acting Administrator

United States Environmental Protection Agency

1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW 

Washington D.C. 20460

Dear Acting Administrator Perciasepe:

1 The National Advisory Councilfor Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) is pleased to

2 present its Second Advisory Letter on Sustainability. We believe the idea ofsustainability is central

3 to EPA's mission and our recommendations in this letter are consistent with, but expand on, those

4 in the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Report sustainability and the U.S. EPA"l. NACEPT met

5 with representatives from the NAS panel and concluded in our First Advisory letter on

6 Sustainability:

7

8 "The National Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) unanimously

9 supports the EPA adopting the National Academies' overall recommendation in its

10 Sustainability and the U.S. EPA report that EPA more fully incorporate sustainability

11 considerationsinto its decision-making processes and day-to-day operations".

12

13 In this Second Advisory letter, NACEPT will respond to specific charge questions and provide

14 recommendations for immediate next steps EPA could take to accelerate the Agency's, and

15 America's, path to sustainability.

16

1

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA,National Research Council, National Academies Press,2011

1
17 Specifically, EPA requested that NACEPT address the following questions in its Second Advisory

18 letter:

19 1. What strengths can EPA leverage to successfully deploy, across the Agency,sustainability

20 strategies drawing upon both the National Academies report recommendations and, also,

21 approaches to sustainability and recommendations from other sources and stakeholders?

22 How can EPA's deployment also achieve positive influence with other agencies and

23 stakeholders?

24 a) Are there internal or external challenges- barriers and gaps-that EPA will need to

25 address, manage and overcome to successfully deploy sustainability strategies drawing

26 upon both the National Academies report recommendations and, also, approaches to

27 sustainability and recommendations from other sources and stakeholders?

28 b) If yes: (1) Identify the significant internal challenges and then recommend strategies to

29 address, manage and overcome them; and (2) Identify the significant external challenges

30 and the stakeholders involved, and then recommend strategies to address, manage and

31 overcome them and contribute to the EPA's successful roll-out of its defined sustainability

32 strategy while engaging with key stakeholders.

33

34 2. Using EPA Sustainability Vision as a starting point, and back-casting from that vision,what

35 breakthrough objectives does NACEPTrecommendfor EPA over the next 3-5 years drawing

36 upon both the National Academies report recommendations and, also, approaches to

37 sustainability and recommendations from other sources and stakeholders?

38 a) What measurement systems does NACEPT recommend for assessing progress towards

39 these breakthrough objectives and EPA's sustainability vision?

40 b) What tools are available to help EPA consider the qualitative and quantitative

41 environmental, public health, social and economic benefits?

42 c) What approaches should EPA use to share progresswith the public?

43 d) What other new approaches might be necessary to implement the breakthrough goals

44 that NACEPT has identified?

45

46 To address these questions, NACEPT organized into two work teams. One addressed EPA's

47 strengths and challenges related to incorporating sustainability across the Agency. The second

48 developed recommendations for a vision, mission, and breakthrough objectives. See further

49 detail about our work approach in Appendix A.

so

51 Executive Summary of Recommendations

52 NACEPT makes ten recommendations in three categories: I) Aligning EPA on its path to

53 sustainability, II) Ensuring Stakeholder Engagement and III) Asserting Sustainability Leadership.

2
54 Together, these recommendations provide an implementation roadmap for the Agency's more

55 complete incorporation of sustainability as a guiding concept for executing its fundamental mission.

56 Each of these will be further elaborated on throughout the letter.

57

58 SUMMARY OF RECOMMENDATIONS

59

60 I. Setting Direction and Creating Alignment on EPA's Path to Sustainability

61 Recommendation 1: EPA Should Build Upon Its Significant Strengths To Develop And Deploy A

62 Robust Sustainability Strategy.

63 Recommendation 2: EPA Should Clarify And Expand Its Current Mission To Explicitly Address

64 Environmental, Social And Economic Goals.

65 Recommendation 3: EPA Should Adopt A Compelling Sustainability Vision Based On The Needs Of

66 Present And Future Generations.

67 Recommendation 4: EPA Should Endorse A Small Number Of Breakthrough Objectives To Be

68 Achieved By 2020 To Accelerate Implementation OfIts Sustainability Strategy And Demonstrate

69 Visible Leadership.

70 Recommendation 5: EPA Should Develop Quantitative Metrics To Analyze Net Impacts And

71 Benefits Of Decisions In Terms Of Contributions To A More Sustainable Society And Incorporate

72 These In Goal-Setting Processes.

73

74 II. Engaging Stakeholders In EPA's Commitment To Sustainability

75 Recommendation 6. EPA Should Clearly Connect Its Sustainability Strategy To Its Existing

76 Authorities And Engage Stakeholders In Implementation.

77 Recommendation 7: EPA Should Link Sustainability, Community Engagement And Environmental

78 Justice Approaches Across EPA.

79

80 III. Asserting EPA's Leadership In Sustainability

81 Recommendation 8: EPA Should Develop The Organization And Culture Needed To Transition And

82 Strengthen Its Sustainability Capabilities: Leadership, Innovation, and Collaboration.

83 Recommendation 9: EPA Should Enhance Its Presence In Sustainability Both Inside The Agency

84 And Across The Federal Government.

85 Recommendation 10: EPA Should Establish A Stronger Role As Convener Of Sustainability

86 Discourse And Collaboration Involving Government And Society At Large.

87

88 Implementingthese recommendations will help EPA set direction toward a more sustainable

89 future, create alignment within the agency and across the federal government, connect EPA's

3
90 commitment with people around the country and across the world, and set the country on an

91 accelerated path to sustainability. These recommendations will establish EPA as a game changer

92 working with the rest of the Federal Government, industry, state and local governments, and other

93 nations. Each of these recommendationswill be expanded upon below.

94

95 I. SETTING DIRECTION AND CREATING ALIGNMENT ON EPA'S PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY

96

97 Recommendation 1: EPA Should Build Upon Its Significant Strengths To Develop and Deploy

98 A RobustSustainability Strategy.

99 There are two widely accepted definitions of sustainability that are good background for EPA to

100 consider as it embarks on a more explicit sustainability strategy. In 1987, the Brundtland

101 Commission - or the World Commission on Environment & Development- headed by then

102 Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, defined sustainable development as

103 "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

104 generations to meet their needs".

2 This defined sustainability at the scale of national or global

105 governance, and focused on intergenerational societal needs.

106

107 John Elkington, founder of the think tank SustainAbility, built on the Brundtland definition and

108 introduced the idea of the 'triple bottom line'. Elkington advocated this sustainability decision109 making framework to help organizations optimize the environmental, social and economic

110 outcomes from their activities.

111

112 NACEPT believes that both the Brundtland definition, focused on needs, and the Elkington

113 definition, focused on environment, society and economy,should inform EPA's approach to

114 sustainability. While adapting definitions of sustainability will vary with the circumstances and

115 needs of individual organization, most agree that 11SUstainability" includes the foundational 11pillars"

116 that address environmental, economic and social considerations, and intergenerational needs,

117 when making decisions and looking at impacts associated with that organization's mission.

118

119 EPA has a solid foundation to embrace sustainability. While the term 11SUstainability" was not in

120 common use when EPA was launched over forty years ago, its mission is directly in line with the

121 idea. The NAS Sustainability report

3 correctly notes that EPA's mission has never been focused

122 solely on environmental protection. EPA operates with explicit directives to protect human health,

123 to make communities more livable, and to develop and deploy technologies and practices that can

2

Sustainable Development: a guide to our common future, the report of the World Commission on Environment and

Development; Oxford University Press,1987.

3

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA, National Research CounciiJ National Academies Press,2011

4
124 reduce emissions cost-effectively. As such, NACEPT believes sustainability concepts have long been

125 central to EPA's approach, representing it's

11

true north."

126

127 Bob Perciaseppe succinctly captured that idea when he said:

128 [-EPA to provide]

129

130 Since its inception in 1970, EPA has developed expertise, experience and understanding about

131 protecting human health and the environment through setting performance standards, requiring

132 control technology, permitting operations, assisting compliance, protecting community health, and

133 recommending best practices across many sectors of the economy 4. EPA's activities, both

134 regulatory and non-regulatory, have been driven by protective ecosystem standards, human health

135 standards and considerations of impacts to society, as well as environmental justice. In some

136 aspects of its mission, EPA already takes economic factors into consideration,since its actions have

137 an impact on economic development, both positive and negative. NACEPT believes EPA can further

138 address economic considerations with its sustainability strategy, while fulfilling its statutory

139 obligations to protect the environment and human health. In fact, greater focus on the econo ic leg

140 ofsustainability may enrich all of EPA's activities particularly in the current context where

141 addressing the deficit and encouraging economic growth are national priorities. EPA has the

142 opportunity to address and rectify the possible perception inside and outside the EPA that there is a

143 cost premium to advance sustainability strategies.

144 NACEPT believes that advancing sustainability can drive significant economic benefits for the U.S.

145 government as it has with industry. The surprising outcome of many corporate sustainability

146 efforts has been substantial economic benefit through, for example, energy efficiency, reduced

147 waste, or innovation, enabled by looking at old problems with a new lens ofsustainability. Perhaps

148 most importantly, by pursuing a holistic approach to sustainability, EPA may be able to better

149 invest the Agency's limited resources and enable more cooperative relationships across federal

150 agencies, among regulators (federal, state and local) and with regulated entities.

151

152 Some of the most innovative sustainability initiatives involve collaboration between companies,

153 NGOs and government

5

. A particular advantage for EPA in multi-stakeholder collaboration is

154 enhancing the influence of the Agency to advance sustainability along supply chains that originate

155 largely outside of the U.S (many of which cannot be addressed within, even though they affect, the

4

Many EPA programs already intentionally incorporate two or more pillars of sustainability such as Brownfields and Land

revitalization program, Energy Star,Urban Waters, Partnership for Sustainable Communities grants program, The Office of Solid

Waste and Emergency Response Community Engagement Initiative,Infrastructure and environmental education.

5 For example, the Sustainability Consortium in which about 80 companies, some NGOs and, in some areas,EPA's Design for 

the Environment (DfE), are developing sustainability profiles .for consumer products that will be used by retailers to prioritize

their purchases;WRI's Aqueducts program involves collaboration across multiple stakeholder to map and respond to water 

risks.

5
156 U.S.). They provide an opportunity for EPA to use its scientific expertise to help address critical

157 sustainability issues in ways consistent with its mission.

158

159 Despite the many strengths outlined above, EPA will encounter challenges and barriers to

160 successful implementation of a sustainability strategy. Regulated entities may be resistant if they

161 believe EPA intends to regulate or require sustainability, if they believe that the strategy will

162 increase costs, or decrease the likelihood that a plant, operation or business will be allowed to

163 function economically. Some entities may express preference for a smaller government role in

164 sustainability to allow for competition and the marketplace to define the best sustainable choice for

165 that entity. Some in the private sector may see a competitive advantage to their own sustainability

166 efforts and resist the implementation of an EPA sustainability strategy, while yet others may view

167 implementing the NAS recommendations as an unfunded and perhaps expensive mandate. We

168 believe EPA can address these concerns with careful and transparent implementation.

169

170 The first step in developing a robust sustainability strategy is to reconsider EPA's Mission.

171

172 Recommendation 2: EPA Should Clarify And Expand Its Current Mission Statement To

173 Explicitly Endorse A Sustainability Approach.

174 EPA's current mission statement to (protect human health and the environment' has served the

175 Agency well for many decades. A more explicit focus on sustainability does not imply departing

176 from this mission but enhancing it in line with the NAS recommendation.

177 NACEPT recommends three simple, but significant, changes to the Mission: one encourages EPA to

178 not just protect human health and the environment, but improve it; a second recognizes long term

179 economic growth as a pillar of sustainability, and a third addresses the societal desire for improving

180 quality of life.

181 NACEPT recommends the following new mission statement for EPA:

_182

183

184 EPA's Mission is to improve human health and the environment while maintaining or

185 enhancing quality of life.

186

187 EPA's Mission is to improve human health and the environment and to encourage actions

188 and solutions that advance the health, well-being and benefit of all.

189

190 EPA's Mission is to improve human health and the environment while advancing long term

191 economic viability and the quality of life for all Americans.

192

6
193 One advantage of this (these) updated mission statement(s) is that it/they maintains the central

194 ideas in EPA's long-standing mission statement while incorporating the concept that improving

195 quality of life requires addressing the economy, while remaining clear and succinct. A second

196 advantage is that it/they make a significant statement that decouples the notion that environmental

197 and human health protections come at a cost to society. EPA's mission would reinforce that

198 environmental and human health protections can be compatible with achieving the nation's

199 economic goals.

200

201 Recommendation 3: EPA Should Adopt A Compelling Sustainability Vision based on the

202 needs of present and future generations.

203 As discussed, EPA has a Mission that drives its every day work. However, it does not have a clearly

204 articulated Sustainability Vision statement to establish a future oriented goal and a broader context

205 for executing the Agency's Mission. Both the NAS report and NACEPT's first letter on sustainability

206 recommend creating a vision statement as a necessary first step for the Agency6• A vision statement

207 will allow EPA's various and diverse activities and programs to cohere and support one another

208 under the common umbrella ofsustainability and will signal to stakeholders inside and outside the

209 Agency that EPA has a long term goal to advance a leadership role in sustainability.

210

211 A compelling Sustainability Vision statement will present a clear picture of a future state where EPA

212 is widely recognized as a global leader on sustainability. EPA's current Mission succinctly and

213 effectively addresses the environmental and human health aspects ofsustainability, but both the

214 Mission and Vision statements should incorporate long term quality of life and standard of living as

215 equally important aspirations ofsustainability.

216

217 While EPA leadership needs to undertake its own dialogue to develop a sustainability Vision for the

218 Agency, NACEPT suggests that EPA focus on a vision ofsustainability that reflects environmental,

219 social and economic ambitions and considers intergenerational needs. NACEPT proposes:

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

EPA's Vision is to propel America towards sustainability, protecting the environment 

and health in a way that meets the environmental,social and economic needs of the 

present without compromising the ability of future generationsto meet their needs.

EPA Vision is a more sustainable American society and environment,now and for future 

generations.

6 First Sustainability Advice letter to Administrator Jackson, NACEPT,April 5, 2012

7
228 EPA's Sustainability Vision statement and mission statements should be presented together. The

229 Vision expresses the Agency's long term goal and the Mission clarifies how the vision will be

230 achieved. To illustrate how the expanded mission and new vision will be implemented by the

231 Agency, NACEPT recommends announcing a series of breakthrough objectives that will provide

232 definition through sustainability in action.

233

234 Recommendation 4: EPA Should Endorse A Small Number of Breakthrough Objectives To

235 be Achieved By 2020 To Accelerate Implementation Of Its Sustainability Strategy &

236 Demonstrate Visible Leadership.

237 The National Academy of Sciences recommended that EPA develop "Breakthrough ObjectivesJJ to

238 guide and energize EPA's sustainability plan7. Breakthrough Objectives should galvanize the

239 Agency and help people understand the concepts ofsustainability by demonstrating what it means

240 in a specific context.

241

242 NACEPT recommends the following criteria be used to evaluate Breakthrough Objectives. The

243 objectives must:

244 a. Support the Sustainability Vision

245 b. Encompass new and/or more effective directions for the Agency to take.

246 c. Improve performance throughout the Agency, not just in one area

247 d. Advance environmental, social and economic goals.

248 e. Be implementable and measurable at national, state and community scales

249 f. Be able to be completed in 3-5 years

250 g. Be simple and intuitively understandable

251

252 This is not a foreign concept for a government agency. Perhaps the most famous historical

253 "Breakthrough ObjectiveJJ was President John F. Kennedy's 1961bold exhortation to Congress that

254 the United States should safely put a man on the moon before the end of the decade in response to

255 advances in the Soviet Union's space program. This met the criteria above of being simple,

256 understandable, measurable, an advance from the currentstate, and specific as to the timeline.

257 Most importantly, it provided great internal alignment within NASA and galvanized that Agency

258 into action. The United States achieved that goal. Breakthrough Objectives could be EPA's game259 changers.

260

7

As the Academy wrote:"Commonly referred to in the business community, breakthrough objectives are goals that extend far 

beyond current capabilities and experiences of an organization and require new strategies and approaches to ensure successful 

attainment of these goals. These objectives are generally designed to improve performance throughout an organization."

Sustainability and the U.S. EPA,The National Academies report, 2011

8
261 In considering the type of Breakthrough Objectives to recommend, NACEPT first considered the

262 types of themes the objectives could be structured around. Example themes include:

263 11 Project-based objectives i.e. focused on industry or infrastructure

264 11 Internally themed objectives i.e. focused on EPA buildings or operations

265 11 Environmental issue themed objectives e.g.focused on water or waste or pollution

266 11 Federal government themed objectives i.e.focused on the operations of all Federal Agencies

267 • Societally themed objectives i.e. focused on EPA interactions with society writ-large

268

269 We then developed a range of possible breakthrough objectives within these theme types, without

270 excluding any theme type when considering potential recommendations. A partial list of our

271 suggestions are provided below for EPA to consider. NACEPT recommends EPA select no more

272 than 3 final objectives and that at least one Objective be internally focused to serve as a role model

273 for other entities and to provide a demonstration that operating more sustainably is attainable by

274 any entity.

275

276 Possible Breakthrough Objectives for EPA to consider

8

:

277

278 1. By 2020 EPA will have facilitated 25 green infrastructure projects that deliver regulatory

279 performance comparable to conventional pollution control systems, but at lower costs, with higher

280 conservation values and outcomes, and measurable net job creation.

281 This possible breakthrough objective is very focused on a set of projects, but serves to illustrate

282 the viability of achieving a sustainable 'triple-win', through pilots. Infrastructure projects will

283 provide environmental protection and beneficial economic activity in local communities.

284

285 2. By 2020, work with at least 10 firms in high carbon-emitting industries (steel, cement aluminum,

286 paper and plastic) to develop approaches to incentivize 25% increase in energy and carbon

287 efficiency without reducing profitability or employment.

288 This possible breakthrough objective is very focused on a priority environmental issue: climate

289 change, with large energy users. It serves to help EPA prioritize work with production

290 industries that have the highest relative contribution to energy use and GHG emissions.

291 Achieving this objective would allow EPA to use the power of collaboration and voluntary

292 initiative to drive progress on climate change.

293

294 3. EPA will work with priority industries and or communities to reduce water, carbon and waste

295 emissions by 33% by 2020.

8

In Appendix B, NACEPT has provided a template for evaluating Breakthrough Objectives and a longer list of suggestions.

9
10

296

297

298

299

300

This possible breakthrough objective is focused on priority industries as well as 

communities and expands to three environmental issues, not just climate change, setting a 

specific improvement goal. This goal would require beneficial collaboration and result in 

significant environmental and economic benefits.

301 4. By 2020J improve air quality to reduce soot 20% without raising the price of electricityJ nor

302 causing disproportionate impacts on affected low-income communities or resulting in significant

303 reduction in local employment.

304 This possible breakthrough objective is focused on a specific health and environmental

305 justice issue as soot pollution is linked to asthma and respiratory health conditions.It also

306 presents an opportunity to address climate change and visibility.

307

308 5. By 2020 create 'one EPA' by dramatically increasing collaboration across departments and

309 creating joint programs focused on sustainability.

310 This possible breakthrough objective is internally focused and builds on the One EPA concept311 expanding it to ensure there is true collaboration. As one example, the range of EPA-controlled

312 ecolabels such as Energy Star, WaterSense, Design for Environment etc could work much more

313 closely together to develop a joint program related to environmental sustainability overall.

314

315 6. By 2020J EPA Will Be Carbon Positive.

316 This possible Breakthrough Objective goes beyond the more common corporate objective of

317 carbon neutrality. To be carbon-positive, EPA would need to avoid more carbon than it emits.

318 By pursuing carbon-positivity, EPA would send a signal to other agencies and regulated entities

319 that it is going beyond today's terms of addressing climate change. EPA would build on a

320 foundation of activity already focused on its footprint and stretch even further.

321

322 7. EPA Will Help the Federal Government Achieve 95% Sustainable Purchasing For All Goods And

323 Services [with the exception of weapons systems) Used By The US Government.

324 This possible Breakthrough Objective recognizes that use of Federal purchasing as a driver of

325 sustainability has already been recognized in numerous Executive Orders, the latest of which,

326 E013514, sets out the goal to advance sustainable acquisition9. While the Executive Order

327 does provide high level guidance on the types of product and services attributes that are

328 considered 'sustainable acquisition', and stipulates that 95% of 'all contract actions' meet such

9

[Section (2}{h)} advance sustainable acquisition to ensure that 95 percent of new contract actions including task and delivery 

orders, for products and services with the exception of acquisition of weapon systems, are energy-efficient (Energy Star or Federal

Energy Management Program (FEMP} designated), water-efficient, bio-based, environmentally preferable (e.g., Electronic Product

Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT} certified}, non-ozone depleting, contain recycled content, or are non- toxic or less-toxic

alternatives, where such products and services meet agency performance requirements.
11

329 a test, there is considerable opportunity for EPA, working with GSA, other federal agencies,

330 cross-stakeholder initiatives1°, NGOs and businesses, to help define exactly what constitutes

331 'sustainable acquisition', and how to measure achievement of the 95% targetll.

332

333 8. By 2020, EPAwill help America's industries achieve a 20% reduction in lifecycle environmental

334 impacts, while improving their long-term economic competitiveness and job-creation potential

335 This possible breakthrough objective formalizes the widespread use of lifecycle assessment

336 (LCA) as an environmental tool, and expands the use of LCA from an environmental focus

337 only, to a broader sustainability context.

338

339 9. EPA Should Undertake Educating The Next Generation Of Decision-Makers On Sustainability.

340 This possible breakthrough objective focused on educating the next generation of decision

341 makers on what sustainability is- and what it isn't- as a critical objective for EPA. This is a

342 'societal' objective in that it implies focusing on wider U.S. society in an effort to educate and

343 engage them in a multi-decade effort to put the US on a path to sustainability. To accomplish

344 this will require innovative and creative multi-stakeholder collaboration by EPA, including

345 using sources of knowledge from academia, to corporate problem-solving, to NGOs to native

346 cultures. Successful training and outreach will result in improved knowledge ofsustainability

347 leading to better decision-making that optimizes social, environmental and economic outcomes

348 for the United States.

349

350 The following diagram (Figure 1) is a succinct visual of the Vision, Mission and Breakthrough

351 Objectives connected across the organization and programs at EPA.

352

1

° For example, The Sustainability Consortium is a collaborative effort of over 70 companies, some NGOs, and (so far) limited 

government agency participation (EPA's Design for the Environment has participated in one category) to develop sustainability 

assessment measures for all categories of consumer goods sold by retailers. Initially funded, but not owned, by Walmart;

managed by Arizona State University and the University of Arkansas. This task is moving into high gear and could benefit from 

EPA engagement. It is focused on supply chains, not just on the American brands selling the final products. There is potential 

for major leverage on chemicals in processes and products worldwide. In many areas, there is a real need for better technical 

tools- whether for assessment or tracing and understanding environmental impacts, as well as social/community/labor 

impacts.

11 In the Executive Order, it is not clear how a product would qualify as 'less toxic or non toxic", or for which product types 

recycled content is a relevant attribute. It does not clarify how Federal purchasers should evaluate the hundreds of 

sustainability-oriented standards or ecolabels, and it does not make clear how to achieve the ultimate goal of sustainable 

acquisition: to reduce lifecycle environmental impacts in areas of greatest concern and optimize social and economic outcomes 

associated with Federal purchasing.
12

Vision

Option 2

EPA Vision is a more sustainable American society and environment, now 

and for future generations

Mission

Option 1

EPA's Mission is to improve human health and the environment, while 

maintaining or enhancing quality of life

353

354

355

356 Recommendation 5: EPA Should Develop Quantitative Metrics To Understand Net Impacts

357 And Benefits Of Decisions In Terms OfContributions To A More Sustainable Society And

358 Incorporate In Goal Setting Processes.

359 One of EPA's greatest strengths is its capacity to develop and deploy metrics of pollution- of

360 emissions and concentrations ofsubstances that can create risks to human health and ecosystem

361 conditions. EPA can share both t}lese data and the agency's human skills in gathering and using

362 such data with the rapidly growing number of corporations, small businesses and non profits,

363 certifying organizations, and collaborative, multi -sector efforts. The Office of Research and

364 Development, could play an important role in connecting with the most current research in

365 academic and other institutions and in assisting other offices to incorporate and disseminate new

366 sustainability knowledge more rapidly. ORD and other EPA offices,such as Energy Star, DfE and

367 other non-regulatory offices and initiatives have distinctive competencies, valuable knowledge and

368 metrics needed by businesses and non-profits to build their capacity to operate sustainably.

369

370 By sharing skills, EPA can forge more productive relationships with regulated entities and build its

371 own capacities. Given the complexities of understanding interaction and interconnectivities among

372 natural and social systems, EPA can build upon both its access to data and its ability to handle,

373 analyze, report and explain data. In its varied roles as a source of data and information, an educator,
13

374 an analyzer, a convener, and a decision-maker, it can make a difference in growing sustainability

375 capacity across the United States. EPA is already leveraging its research programs to better

376 understand interconnectivity among and across both natural and social systems. This

377 recommendation could also be a topic to be more specifically expanded upon by a future NACEPT

378 Council.

379

380 NACEPT recommends that EPA use the Breakthrough Objectives and metrics to better reflect its

381 strategy on sustainability in its FY 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. NACEPT believes that EPA can

382 demonstrate a stronger focus on sustainability using its strategic planning and goal-setting

383 processes and identifying sustainability as a central theme of its work.

384

385 II. ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS IN EPA'S COMMITMENTTO SUSTAINABILITY

386

387 Recommendation 6. EPA Should ClearlyConnect Its Sustainability Strategy To Its Existing

388 Authorities and EngageStakeholdersin Implementation.

389 EPA will need to address the fact that its various authorizing statutes do not explicitly reference

390 sustainability the way business and governments commonly understand sustainability today. Some

391 may question EPA's adoption of a sustainability strategy, believing that sustainability is beyond its

392 statutory mission. NACEPT does not believe this is a barrier to moving forward on a sustainability

393 strategy. Language in a number of authorizing statutes is strongly indicative of a vision of a more

394 sustainable approach to addressing environmental and societal health issues. EPA will need to be

395 transparent and open with stakeholders and justify its path forward12.

396

397 NACEPT believes that EPA has authority to acknowledge sustainability as core to its Mission.

398 Congress set the stage for Federal Government agencies to address sustainability when it enacted

399 the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) which declared:

400 "the continuing policy of the Federal Government is to create and maintain conditions,

401 under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, which permits

402 fulfilling the social, environmental, and economic and other requirements of present

403 and future generations"B

404

405 NEPA reflects both the three pillars of sustainability as well as the intergenerational aspect of

406 sustainability. NEPA'sstrong mandate for public participation and input in generating integrated

407 analysis of environmental, economic and social factors is central to the workings of sustainability.

408

12 NACEPT notes that the Office of General Counsel at EPA is currently undertaking a review of all Agency legal authority to 

support implementing a sustainability strategy.

13 National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4331(a}L 1969
409 More recently, President Obama, in Executive Order 13514, provided further specific' directive to

410 the executive branch agencies:

411 11tO establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal Government",

412 providing a definition ofsustainability 'to create and maintain conditions, under which

413 humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social,

414 economic, and other requirements of present and future generations"14

415

416 NACEPT members believe that active community engagement and meaningful community and

417 stakeholder input will improve the effectiveness of EPA's commitment to sustainability. EPA has

418 deep connections and relationships with many key stakeholders including state, local and tribal

419 governments, corporations, small businesses, nonprofits, academic institutions and other entities,

420 many of which are similarly engaged in determining the most sustainable direction for their

421 organizations. They have embraced sustainability to drive innovation, educate and engage their

422 employees and citizens, reduce costs, become more competitive and address key global issues, such

423 as global climate change, the decreasing availability of fresh water, loss of biodiversity and

424 associated habitats, improving the standard of living, eliminating poverty, and improving the health

425 and welfare of global citizens.

426

427 For example, in the private sector, corporations have demonstrated a significant interest in

428 developing more sustainable approaches. Increasingly, they are evaluated and rated for their

429 sustainability programs and progress, creating a competitive imperative.15 Their actions range

430 from building explicit business models to grow a company using a sustainability strategy to

431 management ofsustainability throughout corporate supply chains to greater transparency in

432 reporting on a Company's environmental footprint and efforts to reflect improvement efforts

433 relating to employees, and local and global communities. This corporate drive, while not explicitly

434 driven by EPA, clearly stems from the strong focus and foundation of environmental performance

435 that EPA has driven over the last forty years. Given the highly regulated aspect of U.S. businesses,

436 there is a great opportunity for the regulated community and EPA to collaborate further, for

437 example, pursuing public/private partnerships with EPA on important issues16. The opportunity to

438 leverage sustainability efforts through partnerships and collaboration also exists in state, local and

439 tribal governments as well as non-governmental organizations.

14 Executive Order, 13514 {2009)

15 Examples: Dow Jones Sustainability Index, Newsweek Magazine's annual ranking of Greenest U.S. Companies, annual ranking 

of the Global100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, Maplecroft Climate Innovation Index-annual ranking of largest

330 or so U.S. companies re: climate actions, Bloomberg Renewable Energy ranking of companies using renewable energy,US 

EPA Green Power Partnership -largest purchasers of renewable energy in the U.S. (Top 10 Federal Government, companies, 

retail, universities, Top 20 K-12 schools,etc.), Carbon Disclosure Project, 100 Best Corporate Citizens,World's Most Ethical 

Companies.

16 A good recent example of this is the joint public-private effort to raise corporate average fuel efficiency across American

automobile manufacturers.

14
440

441 Recommendation 7: EPA Should Link Sustainability, Community Engagement and

442 Environmental Justice Approaches across EPA.

443 The directive to improve environmental justice is incorporated in sustainability and is already

444 underway. The Obama Administration expanded the commitment to ensuring federal agencies also

445 advance the goals of environmental justice (EJ) by signing the "Memorandum of Understanding on

446 Environmental Justice and Executive Order 12898" (EJ MOU) in August, 2011.17 The Interagency

447 Working Group on Environmental Justice (EJIWJ) has expanded its ranks to include additional

448 federal agencies representing the intersecting concerns of the environmental quality, social impacts

449 and economic development. Administrator Lisa Jackson explained how these are interconnected:

450 11All too often, low-income, minority and Native Americans live in the shadows of our

451 society's worst pollution, facing disproportionate health impacts and greater obstacles to

452 economic growth in communities that can't attract businesses and new jobs. Expanding the

453 conversation on environmentalism and working for environmental justice are some of my

454 top priorities for the work of the EPA...Every agency has a unique and important role to play

455 in ensuring that all communities receive the health and environmental protections they

456 deserve."ls

457

458 Environmental justice scholars and community activists have stressed the importance of

459 integrating the three factors that comprise sustainability (environmental,social and economic

460 factors) rather than seeing them as separate concerns. Environmental justice and community461 based organizations, communities of color and low income, and Tribal communities across the

462 United States are developing a vision of healthy and sustainable communities. Many of them are

463 proactively exploring sustainability through planning, alternative energy solutions, community464 driven decision-making, and community design. Working with governmental agencies and the

465 private sector, communities are urging problem-solving approaches aimed at minimizing

466 environmental degradation while building community capacity to contribute to sustainable

467 development decisions.19 The work, experiences, and traditional environmental knowledge (TEK)

468 and cultural heritage of environmental justice organizations and Tribal communities provide

469 valuable insights and best practices for advancing sustainability and creating healthy communities

470

471 This recommendation has challenges. Budget reductions have limited funds for coinmunity

472 programs, such as the CARE program which focused on community-based environmental

473 management. There are limited channels for community input to effectively influence

474 governmental decisions. Lack of informed opportunities to engage in the process of planning,

17 EJMOU (2011} http://epa.gov/environmentaljustice/resources/publications/interagency/ej-mou-2011-08.pdf

1s http:/ jwww.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/ceq/Press_Releases/August_04_2011

19 Remarks of Deeohn Ferris at the Environmental Law Institute Sustainability Forum, (Washington, DC,September 27, 2011)

15
475 decisions and investments and insufficient resources are major barriers to underserved

476 communities being able to achieve these goals. Limited ethnic, linguistic and culturally diverse staff

477 at EPA inhibits communications and partnerships with EJ communities. Lastly, community

478 concerns about anti-immigration backlash create distrust of federal government agencies.

479

480 However, there are meaningful steps EPA can take to address these challenges. EPA could provide

481 technical assistance to communities to collaborate on sustainability at the locat state, regionat and

482 national levels. EPA's assistance could help fund communities to participate in annual conferences

483 to improve collaboration with EJ communities, as well as training, and capacity building.

484 Additionally, EPA can be proactive in nominating and appointing individuals with expertise on

485 environmental justice, racial justice, and equitable development to federal advisory committees to

486 incorporate their expert insights and lessons.

487 There are numerous examples where states, tribal and local governments have made significant

488 sustainability commitments as well. EPA can learn from those efforts and ensure that its

489 sustainability strategy complements, rather than contrasts or confronts those locally-developed

490 sustainability initiativeszo.

491

492

493

III. ASSERTING SUSTAINABILITY LEADERSHIP

494 Recommendation 8. EPA Should Develop The Organization And Culture Needed To Transition

495 And Strengthen Its Sustainability Capabilities: Leadership, Innovation, and Collaboration.

496 EPA's regulatory programs focus on national standards, applied consistently and uniformly across

497 the country to address specific environmental concerns. Sustainability addresses a broad spectrum

498 of environmentat social and economic concerns in individual situations.. These are different lenses

499 with which to view approaches to the problems EPA must address. While many EPA employees are

500 already knowledgeable about sustainability concepts and see implementing EPA's sustainability

501 strategy as highly compatible with EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment,

502 EPA should strengthen employee knowledge ofsustainability principles and their application in

503 actions of the Agency.

504

505 EPA can accelerate building sustainability capacity within the EPA by utilizing tools such as

506 websites, training, newsletters, new hire orientation, and Sustainability forums to ensure

507 employees understand what sustainability is and what EPA's strategy entails. This

20 Examples of a strengthened EPA outreach in this area include: 1) Partnering with community-based environmental science 

initiatives (citizen science,community-based monitoring, and bucket brigade) to design collaborative research programs, and 2) 

collaborating with indigenous scientists and tribal organizations developing new sustainability practices and technologies

incorporating traditional environmental knowledge (TEK).

16
508 recommendation dovetails with NACEPT's recommendations and EPA initiative to foster a

11

0ne

509 EPA" culture using its sustainability strategy as a prevailing theme.

510

511 By partnering with other institutions EPA can train, educate, and increase awareness and

512 understanding about sustainability. For example, academic institutions are rapidly responding to

513 student desire for a sustainability curriculum21. Students are clearly responding to the direction

514 they see corporations and governments moving and want to develop marketable skills. EPA can

515 leverage its expertise in fundamental science, systems thinking, community outreach, and law and

516 policy to provide technical assistance in developing sustainability curriculum. This would have the

517 additional benefit of attracting new EPA hires that have been through an academic curriculum that

518 would align with the skills and expertise that EPA anticipates needing in the future.

519

520 Other opportunities for ORD and other EPA officesto partner with external institutions to advance

521 sustainability include:

522 1. Develop a National Sustainability Report. It is imperative that some national identification,

523 collection and reporting ofsustainability metrics and the progress America is making to achieve

524 the EPA Vision be done on a regular basis. EPA is a logical agency to play a leading role to

525 accomplish that goal.

526 2. Assess existing, or develop if needed, methodologies for measuring natural resource

527 sustainability, such as life cycle analysis, ecosystem services, and water foot printing.zz

528 3. Develop, vet or bless tools that could be used across industry and governments for measuring

529 sustainability and that are practical and could be used in a comparative way.

530 4. Partner with academic institutions to encourage the use of defined sustainability programs

531 (example STARS23), encourage sustainability curriculum development and research.

532 5. Partner with U.S. cities to highlight what cities are doing to advance sustainability, including

533 community's development initiatives such as locally grown food, green buildings, sustainability

534 programs in schools.

535 6. Develop a program to serve as an enterprise model for stakeholderssuch as other federal

536 agencies and local governments.

21 Many Junior colleges and universities now have fulltime sustainability coordinators and defined sustainability programs with 

this trend increasing across the network of higher education. Many of these sustainability programs are comprised of three 

elements; advancing sustainability concepts into the courses,facilities (ex: enhanced energy and water efficiency, natural 

landscaping, local & organic foods} and community (ex: offering community outreach activities to advance sustainabiljty in the 

communities}. More and more universities now offer degrees (some on-line} in sustainability. Beyond Grey Pinstripes is a 

ranking of MBA programs focused on social and environmental impact. Beyond Grey Pinstripes is an independent, biennial 

survey conducted by the Aspen Institute highlighting how academic institutions prepare students to meet the business 

challenges of tomorrow,including training in social and environmental issues.

22 For example,the Global Footprint Network 22 measures the ecological foot of nations and the world as a whole.

The Sustainability Tracking,Assessment & Rating System'M (STARS} is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges 

and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS® was developed by AASHE with broad participation from

the higher education community.

17
537 7. Work with state governments to understand and promote best sustainability practices at the

538 state level.

539 8. Leverage existing EPA programs to advance and champion sustainability in the built

540 environment. EPA already has programs that address many aspects of green building.

24 These

541 building efficiency/green programs align with elements of private standards green building

542 certification programs.25 EPA can utilize its existing authority and roles as permit writers,

543 approvers, grant-providers to educate and encourage greater adoption and utilization of green

544 building techniques.z6

545

546 Recommendation 9. EPA Should Enhance Its Presence In Sustainability Both Inside The

547 Agency And Across The Federal Government.

548 . To build its presence as a sustainability leader and to ensure alignment across EPA, NACEPT

549 recommends:

550 a) EPA establish an EPA Sustainability Steering Committee (EPA SSC) including high551 level representativesfrom key EPA departments. EPA should target a SSC of 10-12

552 individuals to make the sse manageable and effective, including high-ranking career

553 employees in EPA's primary jurisdictional offices: air, water, waste, etc. It is important that

554 these individuals be in a position to influence the direction being taken for programs and

555 processes in their specific EPA department. The SSC would be internaluchampions" for

556 EPA's sustainability strategy. Such a Committee would accelerate the integration of

557 sustainability across and into the EPA to help achieve EPA's missions, goals and

558 sustainability leadership within the U.S. governmept. NACEPT recommends such a

559 Committee be convened quickly, commit to regular meeting session to facilitate and inform

560 the implementation and execution of it's sustainability strategy, and periodically rotate the

561 chair among the leaders.

24 For example, including Energy Star,Water Sense,Air Indoor Plus,Environmentally Preferable Purchasing,and Brownfield's 

programs.

25 The push toward greater use of sustainable design concepts for buildings increased in momentum in the late 1990s with the

creation of Building Research Establishment's Environmental Assessment Method {BREEAM),the first green building rating 

system in the U.K. In 2000,the U.S. Green Building Council {USGBC} followed suit and developed and released its own set of 

criteria also aimed at improving the environmental performance of buildings through its Leadership in Energy and 

Environmental Design {LEED) rating system for new construction. Later,the Green Building Initiative {GBI), was created to assist 

the National Association of Homebuilders {NAHB) in promoting its Green Building Guidelines for Residential Structures. Although

originally developed for Canada,GBI helped to make Green Globes 21available for use in the U.S. in 2005 and tailored for the

ecotourism industry. Today many countries have developed green building standards. Most green building systems address

broader issues of sustainability and evolving concepts such as net zero energy use, building orientation & landscaping 

considerations, and living & restorative building concepts that improve the natural environment,or those that model nature's 

processes.

26 Actions identified by NACEPT members include: train more individuals on green building techniques and practices, b)

Coordinate with other departments, such as the Department of Energy,to achieve the full potential of existing green building 

related programs within the U.S. Government, and c) Explore the merits of developing a Federal Green Building Program to be

used by Federal Government Agencies, ·

18
562

563

564

565

566

567

568

569

570

571

572

573

574 b)

575

576

577

578

579

580

581

582

583

584

585

586

587

588

589

590

591

592

593

594

595

This is similar to the approach many large corporations and other entities have used to 

implement sustainability as a strategy for their institutions. These Committees are usually 

comprised of senior leaders who meet regularly to evaluate sustainability strategies, goals, 

targets, progress, and developments. Each member of the SSC should take explicit 

ownership of a sustainability priority, such as a recommended specific Breakthrough 

Objective. That visible leadership will accelerate alignment and focus attention of employees

across the organization. A best practice many companies also deploy is bringing in outside

advisors, either in a permanent advisory role, or on a periodic basis and this

would include advisors on innovative sustainability practices and technologies representing 

and emerging from underrepresented communities and Tribal organizations. This ensures 

the Agency is aware of developments in the field and gains the advantage of a fresh 

perspective.

EPA convene and lead a U.S. Government Sustainability Steering Committee (U.S. Gov 

SSC), with high-level representatives from different U.S. Government agencies. 

Sustainability leadership within EPA and across the Federal Government is critical to move 

the Federal Government to more sustainable approaches. As John Dernback notes:

An ((inherent challenge(s) for sustainability governance continues to be lack of 

coordination among different levels of government."

27

This Committee would set U.S. governmentsustainability priorities and goals, such as 

integrating Federal Government sustainability reporting into one or more high level 

government reports, evaluating processes to green the Supply Chain for the U.S. 

Government, and reviewing sustainability best practices across the Federal Government

28•

NACEPT notes that Sustainability approaches are often most effective when focused on 

specific situations. One of the great advantages for many private sector companies has been 

defining a sustainability strategy in context of their most relevant aspects. For example, a 

textile manufacturer may be more focused on worker conditions in small factories and an 

agricultural based company may be more focused on nutrient loading to aquatic

ecosystems. And yet, flexibility presents a challenge for entities charged with achieving

mandated missions and specific performance targets. The US SSC should have the flexibility 

to set goals and objectives within logical context for different agencies and their jurisdictions.

EPA need not be the sole convener and leader. NACEPT recommends a rotating chair, with 

work groups on specific topics and situations. In these efforts, as in internal EPA work on

sustainability, the key is to focus on specific situations or opportunities, as well as on

27 Acting as if Tomorrow Matters: Accelerating the Transition to Sustainability-John C. Dernback, Environmental Law

Institute, 2012, page 83.

28 For example, this group could provide direction and support to the National Institute of Governmental Purchasing

28 (NIGP) in

its effort to develop and implement a sustainability evaluation system for government suppliers of goods and services to be 

implemented in the U.S.

19
596

597

598

broader strategies that would enhance and facilitate cooperative work in particular 

communities, industries, and situations.

599 Recommendation 10. EPA Should Establish A Stronger Role As Convener Of Sustainability

600 Discourse And Collaboration Involving Government And Society At Large.

601 EPA should expand its role as a collaborator and convener with other government agencies and a

602 wide range ofstakeholders to develop, support and promote initiatives to meet environmental and

603 human health goals beyond its specific regulatory/performance requirements29 • The importance of

604 these roles will continue to grow in an increasingly interconnected world in which many of the

605 most critical strands are beyond the nation's borders and/or EPA's direct regulatory authority,

606 even though critical to the Agency's broader environmental mission.

607

608 Capacity building within the agency should build on case studies ofsuccessful sustainability

609 approaches such as the Kendall Station permit in Cambridge, MA. The Kendall Generating Station's

610 renewed water quality permit reflects integrated and sustainable decision-making in that an EPA

611 action in the water medium will yield positive outcomes in multiple media (water and air), as well

612 as in the economic and social domains. To meet Clean Water Act requirements, the Cambridge,

613 Massachusetts plant needed to reduce its thermal loadings to the Charles River. However,

614 conventional cooling towers to reduce waste heat were too expensive and too big for the property.

615 Working in a collaborative fashion, the parties identified an innovative alternative solution: the

616 plant would sell its waste heat to homeowners in Boston, where the steam could be used to

617 generate electricity otherwise obtained from old, oil-fired boilers. In addition to significantly

618 improved water quality and protected fish in the Charles River at lower cost, the arrangement will

619 benefit neighboring communities in Boston by improving air quality and reducing illnesses like

620 asthma. In addition, the plant is expected to make money selling its waste heat and new jobs will be

621 created for workers hired to build the pipe conveying the steam from Cambridge to Boston.

622

623 EPA's broad geographic presence enables extensive outreach with external stakeholders to

624 incorporate sustainability considerations in its decision-making and disseminate best practices.

625 EPA national headquarters and Regional Offices allow EPA a perspective and presence across all

626 industries, all states, and comparison to the accomplishments of other countries globally. EPA's

627 national presence can facilitate information gathering, networking, and publicizing best practices

29 EPA is already an effective convener and partner for sustainability in three different ways. (1) Using its existing network of 

regional offices and affiliations with State agencies, EPA has been increasingly active in convening and in helping to define and 

implement local,state, and regional sustainability efforts; 2) EPA is helping to convene and participate in sustainability efforts 

with other federal agencies,(e.g. the E3 program and the EPA-HUD-DOT Smart Cities Effort.L and {3) A third kind of 

convening/partnership is practiced by EPA programs that work with private businesses and other groups in programs like

Energy Star,Design for the Environment and others.

20
628 among allstakeholders. Industry can bring practices developed in·one industry to another industry

629 that may have a similar challenge. Also, EPA can see the direction one industry may be headed in

630 and use that knowledge to better understand the ecosystem impacts that may occur based on the

631 activities in other industries. EPA's strong regional presence alo allows it to understand operations

632 at the ground level. EPA may see emerging issues in one region that may not yet be apparent in

633 another region. Lastly, very few of the global sustainability issues addressed will ultimately be

634 solved at the country level. Given the challenges of forging global compacts, it is important that EPA

635 understand best practices that may be emerging in other regions of the world, or, issues that may

636 be exacerbated by the activities in other countries.

637 Importantly, EPA has the opportunity to generate a more informed dialogue and more cooperative

638 collaboration among all stakeholders (corporate, NGOs, academics, local governments) as

639 sustainability becomes a common language and replaces rhetoric that has historically positioned

640 different stakeholders in adversarial positions.

641

642 CONCLUSION

643 The recommendations herein provide EPA a roadmap for incorporating sustainability as central to

644 both its vision and mission, and practical steps that it can take to initiate this evolution quickly. Key

645 to EPA's success is ensuring a clear understanding of what sustainability means and how it

646 complements and can improve its ability to derive innovative solutions and approaches to its

647 everyday regulatory, permitting, research and education activities to propel this country to a more

648 sustainable America.

649

650

651

652

653

654

655

656

657

Sincerely,

William Ross

21
658 Appendix A: Summary of Work Teams Efforts

659

660 The Strengths & Challenges team

661 Members: Ron Meissen (co-chair)Alison Taylor (co-chair)Fernando Abrufia}

662 Giovanna Di Chiro} Deeohn Ferris} Sara Kendall} Howard Learner} Trish Gallagher}

663 Ondrea Barber; John DeVillars

664 Approach: conducted the following work to develop the recommendations: The team

665 identified major areas of strength at EPA related to sustainability including} air and

666 water quality} brownfields} education} green building} energy star} collaboration}

667 community engagement} infrastructure} as well as challenges} action opportunities and

668 developed recommendations.

669

670 The Vision & Breakthrough Objectivesteam

671 Members: Bridgett Luther (co-chair)Olufemi Osidele (Co-Chair)Erica Bannerman}

672 Kurt Erichsen} DeWitt John} Robert Kerr} Judith Mazique} Mark Mitchell} Bob Olson}

673 Yalmaz Siddiqui

674 Approach: conducted the following work tasks:

675 Reviewed the NAS Sustainability Framework

676 Reviewed EPA}s FY 2011- 2015 strategic plan

677

678

679

680

681.

682

683

684

685

686

687

11 Reviewed the EPA website including mission and 2012/13 strategic plan 

updates

11 Held conference calls with a series of EPA senior staff including but not 

limited to: Bicky Corman} Derry Allen} Allison Kinn-Bennet1 Stan Meiburg} 

Vivian Daub} Kathy O}Brien} Viccy Salazar

11 Held a Sustainability Visioning session

11 Brainstormed over 30 possible 3-5 year Breakthrough Objectives

11 Established criteria to select final recomm'ended Breakthrough Objectives

11 Obtained EPA input on viability of breakthrough objectives and finalized 

recommended Breakthrough Objectives

22
688

689

690 Appendix B: Summary of Breakthrough ObjectivesConsidered by NACEPT

691

692 Attach the large spreadsheet.

693

23
# Possible Breakthrough Objectives

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

objective in the row above)

Theme Scope Screen 

in/out?

[Why?]

Evaluation criteria

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Supports 

new EPA 

vision?

Implies 

new 

directions 

for the 

Agency?

Beyond 

current 

capabilities?

Improves 

performance 

throughout 

agency?

Advances 

environment, 

social & 

economic 

benefits?

Simple &

intuitively

understand 

able?

Completeable in 3-5 

years

Measurable? Can be 

broken 

down 

into 

goals 

and 

indicate 

rs

Able to 

scale up?

1 EPA offices will create Zero waste by 2020 Enviro 

issue

Internal In with 

change

1a By 2020 EPA will lead the US Government towards zero 

waste to landfill, and do so on a cost-neutral basis while 

creating millions of jobs

Enviro 

issue

Federal 

government

In

2 EPA offices will be carbon neutral by 2020 Enviro 

issue

Internal In with 

change

2a By 2020 EPA will lead the US Government towards carbon 

neutraility, and do so on a cost-neutral basis while creating 

millions of jobs

In

3 EPA will work with priority industries to reduce water, carbon 

and waste emissions by 33% by 2020

Industry Targeted 

external 

stakeholders

In

4 By 2020 EPA will have facilitated 25 green infrastructure 

projects that deliver regulatory performance comparable to 

conventional pollution control systems, but at lower costs, 

with higher conservation values and outcomes, and 

measurable net job creation.

Project Targeted 

external 

stakeholders

In as detail

5 By 2020, work with at least 10 firms in high carbon industries 

(steel, cement, aluminum, paper and plastic) to develop 

production and purchasing standards to incentivize energy 

and carbon efficiency to drive 25% reduction in C02 

emissions from these firms -without reducing profitability or 

employment.

Industry Targeted 

business 

stakeholders

In as detail

6 By 2020, EPA will help America's industries achieve a 20%

reduction in

lifecycle environmental impacts, while improving their longterm economic competitiveness and job-creation potential

Industry All industry In- add 

detail

6a By 2020, EPA will help America's industries understand their 

lifecycle environmental impacts and help them on a path to

20% reduction in impact, while improving their long-term 

economic competitiveness and job-creation potential

Industry All industry In- add 

detail

6b By 2020, EPA will work with select industry sectors to help 

them understand their lifecycle environmental impacts, and 

develop plans to reduce their key impacts by 20%, while 

improving their long-term economic competitiveness and jobcreation potential

Industry All industry In- add 

detail

7 By 2020 EPA will help improve the level of environmental 

literacy in

American by training the next generation of environmental

scientists

Education Acedemia InCombined

?a By 2020 EPA will help improve the nations understanding of 

sustainability by educating every american student on the 

what it means and how to achieve it

Education Acedemia

!

- - - -
# IPossible Breakthrough Objectives !Theme

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

bjective in the row above)

Scope Screen

in/out? 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

new EPA I

7b !By , initiate programs and strategies for 

educating citizens about the scientific support for and health 

benefits of sustainable economic development and product 

selection

Education !Academia 

and Public

[Why?]

InCombined

Implies Beyond Improves Advances Simple & Complete- Measurable? Can be Able to

new current performance environment, intuitively able in 3-5 broken scale up?

vision? directions capabilities? throughout social & understand years down

for the agency? economic able? into

Agency? benefits? goals 

and

indicate 

rs

7c IBy partner with the Department of Education to Education Select federal lin -

develop grade/high school curricula designed to provide 

systematic environmental education with a goal of adoption 

by at least 5% of school districts nationwide by 2015.

agencies Combined

, EPA will adopt decision-making screens 

at ensure actions are moving us toward the Agency's

sustainability program goals.

, initiate leadership and set deadlines to 

lish the following:

Validation of the Kyoto Protocols by publishing a timetable 

of carbon reduction targets consistent with our new scientific 

understanding of global warming.

b. Develop an international database of cleanup technologies 

focused primarily on water and soil contamination. ·

c. Develop an international database of closed loop industrial 

processes with emphasis on redefining the concept of waste. 

d. Review and put in place rules that create impediments to 

allowing one industrial processes waste to become another 

processors feedstock.

e. Partner with others in the international community on cross 

border, cross-ocean contamination with a goal of a 20% 

reduction in shipments of waste by 2015

f. Define "technical nutrients" (Non-toxic, non-harmful 

synthetic materials that have no negative effects on the 

natural environment and thus can be used in continuous 

cycles as the same product without losing their integrity or 

quality) and support projects that endeavor to utilize and 

develop products composed of technical nutrients.

g. Distribute key messages distributed through multiple 

channels publicizing the legitimacy of renewable energy, 

carbon-neutral fuels and substitution of toxic substances into 

the environment.

Org &

culture

Enviro 

issue
# Possible Breakthrough Objectives

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

objective in the row above)

Theme Scope Screen 

in/out?

[Why?]

Evaluation criteria

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Supports 

new EPA 

vision?

Implies 

new 

directions 

for the 

Agency?

Beyond 

current 

capabilities?

Improves 

performance 

throughout 

agency?

Advances 

environment, 

social & 

economic 

benefits?

Simple & 

intuitively 

understand 

able?

Completeable in 3-5 

years

Measurable? Can be 

broken 

down 

into 

goals 

and 

indicato 

rs

Able to 

scale up?

10 By , establish an EPA policy that requires its 

permitting and research and development functions to work 

together to stimulate the development of alternative 

chemicals that would produce better more sustainable 

outcomes than those currently determined to be "legal".

Enviro 

issue

Internal Outgeneral 

recommen

dation _,

11 By expand the number of Energy Star and/or 

LEED type industry programs prioritized by environmental 

impact and degree of risk.

Program Internal Outgeneral 

recommen 

dation

12 By direct the Office of Research and Development

(ORO) to focus its research on "families of chemicals" that 

have similar properties rather than individual chemicals.

Enviro 

issue

Internal Outgeneral 

recommen 

dation

13 By partnering with the Department of Energy to 

evaluate "Clean Coal" to confirm its viability.

Enviro 

issue

Select federal 

agencies

Outgeneral 

recommen 

dation

14 By 2020 create 'one EPA' by dramatically increasing 

collaboration across departments and creating joint programs 

focused on sustainability

Org &

culture

Internal Out- move 

to org

15 By 2020, inventory toxicity of all parcels of property in the

U.S.

Enviro 

issue

Targeted 

external 

stakeholders

Out- One 

issue

16 Combine with others and include Environmental Justice Out- One 

issue

17 By 2020, improve air quality to meet national standards 

without raising the price of electricity in ways that cause 

disproportionate impacts on 90% of affected low-income 

communities or closure I relocation of enough firms to cause 

"significant" reduction in local employment.

Regulation Targeted 

external 

stakeholders

Out- One 

issue

18 By 2020, have completed actions resulting the reduction of 

body burden, (the total amount of a chemical, metal or 

radioactive substance present at any time after absorption in 

the body of man or animal), for EPA's top 50 chemicals of 

concern

Enviro 

issue

Targeted 

external 

stakeholders

Out- One 

issue

------------ -----------