Sustainability Policy: Hastening the Transition to a Cleaner Economy - Hardcover

by Steven Cohen (Author), William Eimicke (Author), Alison Miller (Author)

A complete guide to sustainability policy at the federal, state, and local levels

Sustainability Policy: Hastening the Transition to a Cleaner Economy is a fundamental guide for public sector professionals new to sustainability policy development, implementation, strategy, and practice. Featuring detailed cases highlighting innovative sustainability initiatives, this book explores the elements that constitute effective policy, and the factors that can help or hinder implementation and adoption. Readers gain insight into policies in effect at the federal, state, and local levels, in the areas of water, energy, material use, and waste management, and the reasons why local policies are often the most innovative and successful. Discussion surrounding monitoring and measurement addresses the lack of standardization, as well as the government's critical role in leading the field toward generally accepted sustainability metrics, while outlining the reasons why certain policies are more feasible than others.

This book is an introductory resource, written in non-technical language, and organized in a coherent manner that establishes foundational knowledge before introducing more complex issues. Even readers with little background in sustainability will gain insight into the current state of the field and the issues at hand.

• Understand sustainability in public and private enterprises, including the role of government and public policy
• Learn the current standing federal, state, and local policies surrounding sustainability
• Discover what makes an effective sustainability policy, including measurement and evaluation metrics
• Explore the politics and future of sustainability, and the barriers to change

Sustainability is a hot topic in both the public and private sector, with vocal advocates on both sides of every issue, so developing effective policy is crucial. For public sector professionals entering the sustainability field, Introduction to Sustainability Policy & Management is a valuable resource.

Front Jacket

In a complex economy on a crowded planet, there is a desperate need for rules and regulations that respond to the international stress and complexity that our global economy has created. We need rules to ensure that economic life does not destroy the planet that provides us with food, air, and water.

Sustainability Policy: Hastening the Transition to a Cleaner Economy is a strategic guide for envisioning, developing, and implementing effective sustainability public policies that will bring about the transition to a renewable resource-based economy. The private sector cannot make the transition from a waste-based economy to a renewable one by itself. This transition can only happen if we can create a public-private partnership. The authors and public policy experts, Steven Cohen, William Eimicke and Alison Miller, show what it takes for federal, state and local governments to create policies to support sustainability in the areas of water, energy, waste management, and more.

Sustainability Policy explores the government's strategic role in critical areas such as funding basic science and infrastructure, to providing financial incentives, to building effective public-private partnerships. Cohen, Eimicke, and Miller outline the sustainability policy tools that are available at the federal, state, and local levels and explore the elements that constitute effective policy, and the factors that can help or hinder implementation and adoption. At the heart of the book, the authors detail programs that have proven effective in the United States as well as policies from other nations that can serve as standards that could be adopted by our government. With examples from around the world, the authors make the case that cities are at the cutting edge of sustainability initiatives as forward-thinking city policymakers experiment with innovative energy initiatives, air quality programs, community design, and climate resiliency projects.

While sustainable programs and projects are laudable, the authors highlight the need for measuring our society's progress toward sustainability by developing and maintaining a system of generally accepted sustainability metrics.

Sustainability Policy offers actionable ideas for creating and implementing the policies that will maintain environmental quality and sustainability.

Back Jacket

In a complex economy on a crowded planet, there is a desperate need for rules and regulations that respond to the international stress and complexity that our global economy has created. We need rules to ensure that economic life does not destroy the planet that provides us with food, air, and water.

Sustainability Policy: Hastening the Transition to a Cleaner Economy is a strategic guide for envisioning, developing, and implementing effective sustainability public policies that will bring about the transition to a renewable resource-based economy. The private sector cannot make the transition from a waste-based economy to a renewable one by itself. This transition can only happen if we can create a public-private partnership. The authors and public policy experts, Steven Cohen, William Eimicke and Alison Miller, show what it takes for federal, state and local governments to create policies to support sustainability in the areas of water, energy, waste management, and more.

Sustainability Policy explores the government's strategic role in critical areas such as funding basic science and infrastructure, to providing financial incentives, to building effective public-private partnerships. Cohen, Eimicke, and Miller outline the sustainability policy tools that are available at the federal, state, and local levels and explore the elements that constitute effective policy, and the factors that can help or hinder implementation and adoption. At the heart of the book, the authors detail programs that have proven effective in the United States as well as policies from other nations that can serve as standards that could be adopted by our government. With examples from around the world, the authors make the case that cities are at the cutting edge of sustainability initiatives as forward-thinking city policymakers experiment with innovative energy initiatives, air quality programs, community design, and climate resiliency projects.

While sustainable programs and projects are laudable, the authors highlight the need for measuring our society's progress toward sustainability by developing and maintaining a system of generally accepted sustainability metrics.

Sustainability Policy offers actionable ideas for creating and implementing the policies that will maintain environmental quality and sustainability.

Author Biography

STEVEN COHEN is the executive director and chief operating officer of the Earth Institute, and professor in the practice of public affairs at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

WILLIAM EIMICKE is a professor in the Practice of international and public affairs and the founding director of the Picker Center for Executive Education at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs.

ALISON MILLER is deputy executive director of the Earth Institute, Columbia University and the associate director of the Research Program on Sustainability Policy and Management at the Earth Institute.