Or the regulations may simply shift pollution from one medium to another, necessitating additional cleanup. Efficient energy technologies are sometimes discriminated against under environmental regulations, even though they reduce energy use and waste. New technologies offer the best prospects for simultaneous environmental and economic gains-but markets and regulatory systems need to encourage their development and adoption. The specificity and rigidity of many of our Nation's environmental statutes and regulations have blocked the adoption of more creative environmental solutions, have driven up compliance costs unnecessarily, and have stifled innovation in technologies and practices. The principles at the heart of the Administration's approach to environmental protection are common sense, cost-effectiveness, and a firm commitment to strong environmental goals combined with flexibility in how we reach those goals.
Additional flexibility can improve environmental performance and cut costs to industry.
This must require new accountability mechanisms to ensure that goals are attained. Encourage cost-effective pollution prevention through partnerships with industry that identify innovative methods for improving environmental performance and provide incentives for pursuing new approaches. An array of voluntary programs that encourage energy efficiency, renewable energy resources, emissions offsets, and other investments has gained enthusiastic industry support and is producing demonstrable benefits in cost-effective pollution reduction. Foster the development of technologies that will increase environmental protection as well as provide U.S. industry with new technologies for export into the global market. Because flexible approaches to pollution prevention tend to blur the traditional distinctions between environmental and energy technologies, Federal research and development programs and partnerships focus heavily on technologies that simultaneously increase productivity, reduce pollution or waste, and cut energy use.