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Environmental Stewardship Beyond Compliance

Environmental Stewardship Beyond Compliance. January 2008 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Environmental Stewardship What is it?. stewardship : The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care.

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Environmental Stewardship Beyond Compliance

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  1. Environmental StewardshipBeyond Compliance January 2008 New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

  2. Environmental StewardshipWhat is it? stewardship: The careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. • White House Office of the Federal Environmental Executive “We define sustainable environmental stewardship to include 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.”

  3. Environmental StewardshipWhat is it? Considered a cornerstone of Sustainability: • Meeting the needs of today without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. • Balancing environmental, social and economic factors

  4. Sustainability

  5. Environmental Stewardship

  6. Environmental StewardshipWhat is it? Compliance and Enforcement’s working definition: When a regulated entity voluntarily engages in activities that go beyond the minimum requirements, rules and regulations, resulting in a positive benefit to the environment.

  7. Environmental StewardshipWhy? NJDEP Compliance and Enforcement Strategic Plan (final as of Jan ‘06): PURPOSE: • We are dedicated to ensure that New Jersey’s environment is clean, safe, enjoyable, preserved and enhanced for future generations. VISION: • We are building a nationally recognized organization that empowers our trained and dedicated professionals to ensure New Jersey’s businesses, communities and individuals are models of environmental stewardship and compliance.

  8. Environmental StewardshipWhy? NJDEP Compliance and Enforcement Strategic Plan – Goal #2: “Effectively balance compliance assistance, enforcement and education to achieve compliance and move the regulated community and the public towards environmental stewardship.”

  9. *World Resources Institute (WRI), The Weight of Nations (Washington, 2000)http://materials.wri.org/pubs_description.cfm?PubID=3023 Environmental StewardshipWhy? Leaders of five highly respected research institutes in five major industrialized countries predict in 50 years…* • 50 percent rise in global population • Fivefold increase in global economic activity • Threefold increase in global energy consumption, manufacturing, and material throughput The world that we owe to future generations cannot tolerate equivalent increases in pollutants, or equivalent decreases in environmental quality. THERE IS A MORAL IMPERATIVE

  10. Environmental StewardshipWhy? • Compliance today represents a minimumin responsibility • Government is recognizing the limits to “command and control” approaches to protection • Wise businesses are recognizing that stewardship ensures their own future along with the planet • Stewardship will drive innovations and represents opportunities

  11. Environmental StewardshipWhy? Consistently High Compliance Rates

  12. Environmental StewardshipWhy? • In 2006 7,757 sites out of 9,949 inspected had NO violations (78% compliance rate) • Would even 100% compliance solve our remaining environmental problems? • Can the 7,757 sites do any better?

  13. New Jersey Stewardship Program A Compliance Assurance Approach • Regulation • Compliance • Enforcement • Penalties Compliance with regulations is still the primary responsibility • Recognizing Stewardship – The “Carrot” The “Stick”

  14. Review of Stewardship Programs • EPA Performance Track • Arizona Environmental Strategic Alliance • New York Environmental Leaders Program • North Carolina Environmental Stewardship Initiative • Virginia Environmental Excellence Program • New Jersey’s past Silver /Gold Track programs • Existing program limitations • require significant administration, applications, review and reporting • heavily weighted to large corporations and entities • typically less than 100 participants per state (440 in VA)

  15. New Jersey Stewardship Program New Jersey program seeks to leverage but differ from those studied: • Reduced burden to participate • Reduced burden to administer • Wide acknowledgement, minimal verification • Accommodate small and large business/entities • Voluntary, but active engagement with all entities; Thousands, not hundreds • Involve and educate all inspectors, not a limited team of application reviewers

  16. New Jersey Stewardship Program • Initiated as an add-on to Compliance Assurance activities • Set basic standards in predetermined categories • Record stewardship efforts through standard survey/checklists at all (or most) inspections or field visits • Initially limited to sites NJ inspects for compliance (retailers, offices, etc. excluded)

  17. New Jersey Stewardship Program • 24 question checklist • Supporting guidance document and webpage • Leveraging existing information • EPA • Non-profits • 3rd Party Certifications • Business Leaders Ongoing and evolving – a learning project

  18. New Jersey Stewardship Program • Publication of Stewardship surveys to Web • Acknowledgement of stewards • Competition – a race to the top • Sharing best practices, networking, education • Added verification • Inspectors become educators and an integral part of Stewardship “network”

  19. Potential Web Output • Stewardship see a list of facilities pursuing projects in all recognized categories • All Stewardship results • view by greatest participation (most categories) • view by sector • view by county • view by stewardship category

  20. Stewardship

  21. Significant Limitations • Will only address sites that are regulated and targeted for inspection (at least initially) Cannot respond to requests or submittals Minimal help beyond hand-outs and on-line info • Must not add significant time to inspections • Will employ existing data system • checklist based • yes/no answers • limited additional info • Does not address Individuals

  22. Timeline 2007 Jan- Feb – engaged stakeholders March-June – more research and development July-Aug – trials with draft checklist Sept–Dec – develop supporting materials/web 2008 Jan – launch & outreach campaign Jan-Feb – All Inspectors trained, stewardship at most inspections 2009? On-line tool for self-reported stewardship

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