Scope

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[Why?] 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?

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 CO2 

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 In - 

Combined

7a 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

# Possible Breakthrough Objectives Evaluation criteria

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

objective in the row above)

Theme Screen 

in/out?
Scope

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[Why?] 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?

# Possible Breakthrough Objectives Evaluation criteria

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

objective in the row above)

Theme Screen 

in/out?

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

In - 

Combined

7c By ________partner with the Department of Education to 

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. 

Education Select federal 

agencies

In - 

Combined

6 By _________, EPA formally adopts the “precautionary 

principle” in establishing EPA policy. 

Org & 

culture

Internal Out

7 By __________partner with the Department of Agriculture to 

reduce fertilizer use by 20% over the next three years. 

Enviro 

issue

Select federal 

agencies

Out 

8 By ____________, EPA will adopt decision-making screens 

that ensure actions are moving us toward the Agency’s 

sustainability program goals. 

Org & 

culture

Internal Out - 

general 

recommen

dation

9 By ___________, initiate leadership and set deadlines to 

accomplish the following:

a. 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. 

Enviro 

issue

Out - 

general 

recommen

dation
Scope

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

[Why?] 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?

# Possible Breakthrough Objectives Evaluation criteria

(cells shaded yellow represent wording variations on the 

objective in the row above)

Theme Screen 

in/out?

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 Out - 

general 

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 Out - 

general 

recommen

dation

12 By _______ direct the Office of Research and Development 

(ORD) to focus its research on “families of chemicals” that 

have similar properties rather than individual chemicals. 

Enviro 

issue

Internal Out - 

general 

recommen

dation

13 By __________partnering with the Department of Energy to 

evaluate “Clean Coal” to confirm its viability. 

Enviro 

issue

Select federal 

agencies

Out - 

general 

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 / 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
# criteria 

met
# criteria 

met
# criteria 

met