|
How can government
support the growth of sustainable businesses?
Massachusetts Roundtable Dialogue
Sustainable Step New England (SSNE), in
collaboration with EPA New England, Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP), and the New England Environmental
Finance Center, convened a roundtable dialogue among businesses
(mainly from Massachusetts) that are leaders in sustainability, and
key government leaders from US EPA and Massachusetts state
government. The aim of the dialogue was to share stories of
businesses that are incorporating sustainable practices and
brainstorm with their input about how government can support and
enhance leading industry practices that are based on sustainable
business models.
Dialogue Process
12 invited businesses from three categories:
- Traditional companies greening their practices
(e.g., Interface, Consigli Construction)
- Social entrepreneurs (e.g., Recycline, ZipCar)
- Environmental technology companies (e.g. Second
Wind, Conigliaro Industries).
In conversation with senior officials from EPA
regional and headquarters offices, MA DEP and other state agencies,
facilitated by SSNE using our Strategic Conversations process.
Results
Sustainable practices these business leaders have
adopted included: energy conservation, green buildings, green
chemistry, new technologies to make products from recycled
materials, green teams, educating their markets about environmental
issues, helping their suppliers implement environmental management
systems, and more.
High-Leverage Ways that Business and
Government Can Foster Sustainable Practices
Four principal areas for action emerged from the
discussions with specific recommendations:
1) Promotion of markets for
environmentally-preferable products and services;
2) Government procurement of
environmentally-preferable products and services;
3) Energy conservation, efficiency and renewable
energy; and
4) Government promotion, recognition, and
initiatives to support business leaders, and leverage business
leadership.
Roundtable Reports
|
Many of the concepts that we talked about
at the Business/Government Roundtable have found their way
into recent EPA discussions with the Administrator as we
define the agency's vision of stewardship and
sustainability.
Derry Allen,
Counselor
US EPA Office of
Environmental Policy Innovation |
The SSNE Roundtable was a great
opportunity to openly share achievements and goals of both the
regulated community and regulatory agencies in working towards
a sustainable economy and preservation of the natural
environment.
Rick Mattila,
Director of Environmental
Affairs
Genzyme Center
| |
