Leading by example

Last week, on October 5, President Obama signed Executive Order 13584 on Federal Leadership in Environmental, Energy and Economic Performance. Its purpose is "to establish an integrated strategy towards sustainability in the Federal government and to make reduction of greenhouse gas emissions a priority for Federal agencies." If we are to create a clean energy economy, the Order explains, "the Federal Government must lead by example."

If the country is to move towards sustainability, we indeed need the leadership of the government as well as leadership among citizens, businesses, educators, community leaders, religious groups, scientists and others who recognize the importance of this concept to the country's future. Unfortunately, the country is clearly divided in its vision of that future. The idea of "sustainability" is no longer new but still remains confusing for many if not most Americans. The term is often used in very different contexts and meanings, mostly focusing on the quality of endurance of a particular institution or activity, as in "financial sustainability." The idea of balancing social, environmental and economic priorities with long-term consideration of the needs of future generations is often lost in these other applications.

In other applications, sustainability is simply another term for environmental protection. This emphasis is sometimes qualified as "environmental sustainability." The problem with this term, which is one of United Nations' Millennium Development Goals, is that it reduces the meaning of sustainability to just one of its elements, ironically undermining the key principle of interdependence of the social, economic and environmental domains.

Much of President Obama's Executive Order does focus on environmental priorities. However, he understands the necessity of linking efforts to reduce GHG emissions, pollution and waste, improve water quality and energy efficiency with the economic priorities underlying the goal to "increase our Nation's prosperity." The Order makes a point to define "sustainability" and "sustainable," as "to create and maintain conditions, under which humans and nature can exist in productive harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations."

Each federal agency is directed to establish a Strategic Sustainability Performance Plan, in which agencies are called on to prioritize their actions "based on a full accounting of both economic and social benefits and costs."

Each federal agency's Strategic Sustainablility Performance Plan is required to meet the following goals:

• establish and report on an agency-wide GHG reduction targets to meet by 2020;
• improve water use efficiency and management;
• promote pollution prevention and elimate waste;
• implement high performance sustainable Federal building design, construction, operation and management, maintenance, and deconstruction;
• advance sustainable acquisition to ensure 95 percent of new contract actions are energy-efficient, water-efficient, biobased, environmentally preferable, non-ozone depleting, constrain recycled content, or are non-toxic or less-toxic alternatives;
• promote electronic stewardship;
• sustain environmental management.

The scope of this federal sustainability strategy, to be overseen by the Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Management and the Budget, is strictly limited to "the internal management of the Federal Government" and thus does not cover many of the policy priorities which citizen groups and sustainability advocates are advocating to move America towards sustainability. It does not address Congress and the legislative actions needed to ensure the transition to a truly sustainable economy and future. At the same time that the Executive Order was released, many environmental groups and citizens were focused more on the positions the government is taking on the climate change discussions in Bangkok and coming up this December in Copenhagen, not to mention the debate on climate action taking place now in Congress.

Nevertheless, this action by President Obama to establish a federal sustainability strategy is indeed a case of leadership by example and deserves strong applause. Given this example, it sends an implicit message for each one of us to begin our own process of taking responsibility for our impacts on the planet. This move challenges us to in turn identify and follow our own set of ethical and socially responsible standards and rules of conduct regarding our impacts on others.

Meaningful progress towards sustainability calls for changes not only in the federal government and personal lifestyles but throughout all of society. Business and industry also needs to raise the mark for the rules and measures of progress guiding their decisions and behavior. The same for other institutions, as well as households and individuals. Unfortunately there are huge pockets of resistance to seriously undergoing the transition to a sustainable society and economy. The reasons for this resistance are many, with many books and studies analyzing the various arguments, concerns, values and behaviors involved. These need to each be addressed. Further, we need a national strategy for sustainability involving not only the federal government but all other sectors of society participating. In moving this ahead, we each need to set our own example.