Promoting Sustainability in the Federal Government

Edwin PiñeroFederal Environmental Executive

www.ofee.gov

Environmental Management WorkshopMarch 8, 2005

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Highlights

• We’ve made great progress getting here

• Lots of folks are working on sustainability in the Federal government

• And we’ve got a big vision

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Federal Leadership

“[I]t is the continuing policy of the Federal Government, in cooperation with State and local governments, and other concerned public and private organizations … to create and maintain conditions under which man and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic, and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.” NEPA, 1969

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“Sustainability” according to OFEE

• Sustainable environmental stewardship includes those concepts, strategies, tools, practices, and approaches that lead to environmental improvement in a manner that is sustainable over time, considers the long term effects as well as the shorter term, more immediate effects, and that contributes positively, even if indirectly, to the social and economic condition.

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Over the last 30 years …

• Our economy grew 164%

• Our population grew 39%

• Our energy consumption increased 42%

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We’ve made incredible progress

• Key air pollutants have decreased 25%

• Toxic releases are down 48%

• Number of citizens who benefit from modern wastewater treatment doubled (86 million to 165 million)

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Incredible Progress

• Energy use has grown at 1/4 of economic growth

• Renewable energy generation is up 30%

• Our health is improving – life expectancy is a record 77.4 years

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Federal Government’s Progress

• Cut building energy intensity by 23%• Cut greenhouse gas emissions by

2.8 million metric tons • Tripled renewable energy purchases• 125 Federal buildings are Energy

Star• Significant waste reduction and

recycling accomplishments

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… But Challenges Remain

So the Federal Government should:

•Lead by example

•Be a good steward

•Be a good neighbor

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So who’s working on sustainability in the

Federal government?

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Office of the Federal Environmental

Executive• Created by Executive Order in

1993• Reports to White House CEQ• Funded by EPA• Responsibilities & mission have

grown

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What We DoMission: Promote sustainable environmental

stewardship throughout the Federal government

Strategic Tool: Environmental management systems

Sustainable Practices:• Waste prevention and recycling• Green purchasing• Green buildings• Electronics stewardship

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How We Do it

• Training and awareness• Sharing success stories, lessons

learned, and best practices• Measuring and reporting• Facilitating dialogue• Creating and expanding networks• Liaison within the Administration

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What OFEE is Not

• A regulatory body• A rulemaking body• An enforcement body• A funding source• A legislative or lobbying entity• An EPA “office”

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Other Groups….

• Federal Network for Sustainability• ECOS-DOD Sustainability Work Group• Interagency Sustainability Work Group• Federal Green Building Council• Office of Science and Technology

Policy• EPA Office of Sustainability (ORD)

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EPA’s P3 Strategy

• Beyond P2• People, Prosperity, and Planet• Student design competition

– www.epa.gov/p3

• Working to pull together various efforts– www.epa.gov/sustainability

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State Department’s Partnerships

• Link environmental stewardship, economic growth, and social development to lift people out of poverty

• $5 billion increase (3 years) in development assistance

• $15 billion (5 years) to fight HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria.

• More than 20 partnerships – from Congo Basin Forests to Coral Reefs

• www.sdp.gov

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DOD’s Sustainable Installations Program

• 8 bases• Working with communities, setting

25-year goals• Zero waste, 100% renewable

energy• Army Sustainability Initiative

Sustainability and EMS: Connecting the vision, goal, and strategy to

get there

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Current Condition

• We have existing operational framework

• We have existing performance goals and metrics (Executive Orders, etc)

• We have been doing much in terms of performance improvement (compliance, community relations, stewardship)

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Factors for Consideration

So we have both:• The need to manage our ongoing

activities in a more systematic way, and

• The need to continue to improve our performance towards long term, environmental stewardship

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EMS in Practice

• An Environmental Management system is the management approach to determining, prioritizing, implementing, and improving upon those environmental issues that will lead to sustainable environmental stewardship.

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Why EMS in the Federal Community?

• Support meeting agency missions and Administration policy and commitments

• Realize environmental and cost benefits• Use as a strategic planning and action tool• Address compliance management

concerns• Framework to realize pollution prevention

and continual improvementSo therefore, • Required by Executive Order

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EO 13148 (April 2000)

• Federal agencies to implement EMS at appropriate facilities by 12/31/05

• Incorporate EMS into agency directives and policies

• Does not mandate ISO 14001or third party certification

• Interagency work group develops policy and guidance

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Is this effort for real?

• Presidents Clinton and Bush support• CEQ/OMB April 1, 2002 letter• 2003 OMB A-11 budget guidance • Many departments and agencies have

issued EMS directives – many also have policies

• Annual Report and Scorecards• Expansion of EMS concepts, continued

and stronger Administration emphasis

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Challenges in Federal Facility EMS

Implementation• Realize Connection to mission• Resources ($) and management support• Dealing with “political” issues • Scale of the effort• Multi-Tenant Facilities and contractors• Verifying the systems• Performance vs. conformance• Staff Turnover (including leadership)

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Where are we now?

• 250+ Federal facilities with an EMS• 25 are certified to ISO 14001– many others

use 14001 as their foundation• Hundreds of others are working on new EMS• In 2003, >1,000 Federal personnel trained • Developing/ sharing tools and case studies,

modules for integration• Interagency Workgroup and OFEE issued self-

declaration protocol in September 2003

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Using EMS as the Framework for Sustainability

• Health & Safety• Compliance• Security • Energy• NEPA (Adaptive Management)• Green Buildings• Green Purchasing (and EPP)• P2, Waste Prevention, and recycling• Electronics Stewardship• Real Property asset management (EO 13327)

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Other Federal EMS Efforts

• Help to maximize use of EMS (“modules”)• Partners for Environmental Performance• PMC Compliance Management Initiative• EPA- Innovation Action Council initiative to

test EMS performance• EPA EMS support for Sectors Program• US-Israel Project on integrating security

issues into an EMS• MSWG and OFEE initiative to enhance

Federal EMSs by community input

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Some Interesting Efforts..

• GSA/DLA Battle Creek, MI pilot project to integrate tenant/host agency EMSs

• Office Building EMS examples• Innovative approaches to defining

“appropriate facilities” (TSA, FAA, GSA)

• EMS as a the foundation of National Forest long term planning

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Federal EMS Opportunities

• Programmatic– Enhance the environmental footprint of the

Federal Government– Change Federal business practice to

consider full range of environmental issues (not just compliance)

– Use EMS as framework or platform for ensuring implementation and performance for policy initiatives

– Use EMS to improve community relations

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Five Strategies for Sustainability

1. Integrate our environmental work2. Integrate environmental issues into

our mission3. Integrate environmental issues across

jurisdictions4. Integrate decisionmaking across time5. Integrate sustainability into our lives