The Multi-State Working Group On Environmental Performance Path to Washington

The Environmental Summit Atlanta, Georgia May 10, 2006

Jeff Smoller President, MSWG WI Dept. of Natural Resources Dennis Treacy President, MSWG Policy Academy Smithfield Foods

MSWG Mission “A Voice for Ecological Innovation and Integration”

MSWG Facts MSWG began in 1996 Environmental management system focus Network of business, government, non- government, academic Hallmark: Mutual respect and dialogue

MSWG Facts Volunteer run: 800 participants and 12 countries Annual conferences and regional meetings Ten committees Council of State Governments: Innovation winner World Bank: “21st Century organization”

First big project: EMS Study EMS database at UNC-Chapel Hill Question: Do EMSs yield greater environmental performance? EPA Water funded; state data Answer: Mostly yes, but it depends

Second big project: Consequential conferences Brookings: Regulating from the Inside Harvard: Management-based Environmental Strategies

Second big project: Consequential conferences New York & California: Tools to Improve Environmental Performance Wisconsin: Environmental Law in a Connected World

Current big project: Education and dialogue Path to Washington Question: How can policy support greater environmental performance? Answer: ?

Path to Washington Taps meetings and committees Taps Policy Academy

MSWG Policy Academy Joyce Foundation supported Virtual organization Board of Regents governed Innovation support system Dialogues, reports and training

Policy Academy dialogues leading to Path to Washington Pace University: Sorting new environmental tools Harvard: Environmental innovation barriers

Harvard dialogue finding: What blocks innovation? Legal barriers Cultural barriers Political barriers

Why innovate? Unmet environmental needs Competitive imperative To survive: Tom Peters

Path to Washington Establishing an Environmental Law that Supports Innovation and Performance About education and dialogue not lobbying

Path to Washington Law makes it real Voluntary program challenges: They’re transient They’re not core work for all Risks for participants and employees

Path to Washington Four conferences Ten focused dialogues Six reports and studies

Path to Washington Question: How can we perform better? 1.ECOS-MSWG performance study Phases: dialogue, study, conference 2.MSWG ecological innovation collection within facilities, beyond facilities, new paradigm

Path to Washington 2006 Park City, Utah “Environmental Empowerment: The Changing Game” Water, energy, land, forests, international topics

Path to Washington 2007 Madison, Wisconsin “America Leapfrogged?” Examples from other nations

Path to Washington 2008 New York City “America’s Opportunities” What do we need ecologically? What can we do ecologically? Can Adam Smith help?

Path to Washington 2009 Washington DC “America: Catching up; measuring up” Reports and discussions from 3-year effort Questions from the executive branch Questions from the legislative branch

Path to Washington Communications Web site and dialogue Innovation bus tours and turn-key package Two text books Video stories for web, events and TV show

Path to Washington Regulations remain Strengthening pursued Enforcement continues Always need a negative place of consequence

Path to Washington A complementary legal framework Alternative instruments and processes Alternative measurements and goals Alternative vocabulary and culture

What do we need? First need: Volunteers Contact Beth Graves member director

What do we need? Second need: Financial support Contact Jeff Smoller president

What do we need? Third need: Eco-innovation and integration examples Contact Bob Donaghue committee chair

Why MSWG and Why Now? Path is a project like the EMS study Grass roots up Fact finding Partnerships and dialogue

Why MSWG and Why Now? Path is like other challenges * 1998 Improve ISO 14001: compliance, P2, reporting (San Antonio)

Path is like other challenges * 2001 Whitman/Congress search US for performance ideas * 2005 Move beyond facility-centric approach (Austin)

Conclusion Path is about: Dialogue Education Learning together Conclusion Path is about: Dialogue Education Learning together

MSWG The go to place for can do people

To join Beth Graves, membership director