NACEPT Charge on Sustainability

March 26, 2012
1

st Advice Letter – Charge Question #1

One of the key recommendations in the National Academies report on 

Incorporating Sustainability in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 

the adoption or adaption of a comprehensive Sustainability Framework. The 

Framework requires "...specific processes for incorporating Sustainability 

into decision processes."

A. Should EPA adopt the National Academies recommendation to 

incorporate sustainability into its decision making processes?

B. If yes;

i. How should the Agency include sustainability in its vision and 

mission?

ii. What are the key points that should be included in a sustainability 

vision?

iii. What are the critical steps necessary to implement sustainability 

principles and processes into its programs and practices?
Charge Question #2

(a.) What strengths can EPA leverage to successfully 

deploy the NAS recommended sustainability 

strategy across the Agency and with key 

stakeholders? 

i. What are the key imperatives for a successful 

roll-out across the Agency? 

ii. What are the key imperatives for a successful 

roll-out with regulated and impacted entities 

and stakeholders, recognizing that strategies will 

vary with different entities? 
Charge Question #2 continued

(b.) Are there internal or external barriers or gaps that EPA will need to 

address, manage, or overcome to successfully deploy the 

sustainability strategy NAS has recommended? 

If yes; 

i. Identify significant internal barriers or gaps and recommend 

strategies to address and manage them (for example, is EPA able to 

fully incorporate all three pillars of sustainability: environment, 

economic and social, and if, not, how should it be prepared to 

address a gap?). 

ii. Identify significant external barriers and the stakeholders involved 

and recommend strategies for addressing and overcoming those 

barriers, and engaging with stakeholders to contribute to a 

successful roll-out of the sustainability strategy for EPA.
Charge Question #3

Using EPA's sustainability vision (or NACEPT’s suggested vision) 

as a starting point, and backcasting from that vision, what 

breakthrough objectives would NACEPT recommend for the 

coming 3-5 years? Breakthrough objectives should be bold and 

ambitious in order to demonstrate the Agency's commitment to

new ways of operating. 

a. What measurement system(s) would NACEPT recommend for 

assessing progress toward these 3-5 year objectives and to the 

Agency's sustainability vision? 

b. What tools are available to help the Agency consider the qualitative 

and quantitative (i.e., environmental, social, and economic) 

benefits?

c. What approaches should EPA use to share progress with the public?
Charge Question #4

How can sustainability evolve from a framework to a culture 

in the EPA organization? 

a. Leadership

i. How should EPA leaders integrate sustainability programs across the 

Agency?

ii. How should EPA leaders integrate the Agency’s sustainability 

programs with other government programs? What should EPA’s role 

be in implementing sustainability across the Federal Government?

b. Engagement of workforce and the public

i. What tools (e.g. guidance, educational curricula, incentives-oriented 

regulations, demonstration projects, private sector participation) 

should EPA employ to promote continuous, positive interaction 

among Agency staff, and with the public. 
Charge Question #4 continued

c. Lessons from the Red Book

i. The NAS recommended that Congress establish a Board on 

Risk Assessment Methods to, among other functions, assess 

the scientific basis of risk assessment, study Agency 

experiences with risk assessment, and identify research 

needs in risk assessment. How can EPA replicate or expand 

these functions in the context of sustainability assessment?

d. Measures of success 

i. How should EPA identify, evaluate and celebrate successful 

sustainability programs within and outside the Agency?