Alan D. Hecht

Framework agreement on climate change: a scientific and policy history

Authors IntroductionIn the introduction to his new book,The Agenda, Washington Post Editor and writer, Bob Woodward, described the book as something between newspaper journalism and history. Woodward notes that “in the information cycle, the newspapers, television and magazines prove the first waves of explanation of events in the days or weeks after they occur. Then, generally after a long interlude, insiders memoirs or histories appear.”The Agenda, according to Woodward, “is a hybrid combining the thoroughness of history with the contemporaneity of journalism.”This paper is also a mixture of journalism and history. It is journalistic in the sense of providing an annotated chronology of key events and publications since 1970 that ultimately led to the signing of the Framework Agreement on Climate Change (herein referred to as the ‘Convention’). It is also history in that we share our insight on these events and offer our perspective of how science and policy-making interacted.After the signing of the Climate Convention at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro (June, 1992), the authors began to think about the many events that led to this historic agreement. When did the process really begin? What were the seminal scientific papers? When did climate change become a policy issue? What lessons do we learn for the future?We began to review the history and soon recognized there was no clear beginning to either the science or policy story. Both aspects evolved, with science and policy decisions affecting each other. The resulting history is decidedly a U.S. perspective. While there will no doubt be arguments over the significance of all the events cited as well as the omission of others, we have for the first time synthesized the major themes that led to the climate convention.Our discussion is organized into three periods of time: 1970–1980 (ending with the first World Climate Conference), 1980–1987 (ending with the U.S. presidential election), and 1988–1992 (signing of the Convention). For each period there is an overall summary and analysis followed by a chronology of selected events.

Good Policy Follows Good Science Using Criteria and Indicators for Assessing Sustainable Biofuel Production

Developing scientific criteria and indicators should play a critical role in charting a sustainable path for the rapidly developing biofuel industry. The challenge ahead in developing such criteria and indicators is to address the limitations on data and modeling.

EPA at 40: Bringing Environmental Protection into the 21st Century

Sustainability science suggests that effective environmental protection requires an integrated systems approach.

The Triad of Sustainable Development: Promoting Sustainable Development in Developing Countries

Sustainable development was defined in 1987 in a report of the World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Brundtland Report) as development that “meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The ability of developing countries to practice sustainable development is affected by many factors, three of which are defined in this article. When acting in harmony, these three factors can make sustainable development a more achievable goal: (a) domestic policy actions, including steps taken toward creating open and free market economies, sound and enforceable environmental policies, and public participation in decision making; (b) financing policies of the bilateral and multilateral lending institutions; and (c) private sector investment and clean technology development. The interaction of these factors forms a triad for sustainable development. This article discusses these factors and offers recommendations for furthering a positive relationship among them in promoting sustainable development in developing countries.

Creating the Future We Want

Abstract Although the world faces serious environmental, economic, and social challenges, we believe that a combination of science and innovation, effective governance, and public-private collaboration can help to overcome many of them and achieve sustainable development. Numerous government policies are now promoting sustainable management practices, while many people in the business and financial communities view sustainability as a means to reduce long-term risk, enhance competitiveness, and promote social well-being. Advances in science and technology are creating new economic opportunities and producing sustainable solutions, while expanded public access to global data and information is helping to shape business and government policies. Looking ahead, sustainability will be best pursued by building on these trends and encouraging new collaborative initiatives among governments, businesses, and the nonprofit sector. This article is an example of a collaboration that includes government, business, academic, nongovernmental, and international organizations.

Sustainability, well being, and environmental protection: perspectives and recommendations from an Environmental Protection Agency forum

Abstract According to panelists at a recent EPA-sponsored forum, at its essence sustainability requires the simultaneous promotion of equitable economic growth, environmental protection, and social well being. Panel members, including economists, policy makers, sociologists, and business strategists, agreed that a sustainable economy should preserve its capacity to generate income, which is made possible by maintaining natural capital. However, they also noted that the limited data available leads to the conclusion that the current scale and quality of economic activity is reducing the capacity of the biosphere to sustain the economy, and is fundamentally unfair to future generations. For EPA to respond effectively, it will have to strengthen the integration of traditional physical and biological research with behavioral and economic research. It will also require institutions that support equitable access to resources and a political system that can respond to today’s poor as well as providing for future generations. Several panelists noted that habit formation and consumption patterns, which often lack a clear rational economic base, can significantly shape the relationship between income and well being. This research implies that public policy directed at sustainability can and should incorporate social values not necessarily reflected in the traditional economic theory of decision making. Several recommendations which emerged from the forum focused on the need to foster high quality data on sustainability indicators, policy mechanisms that use economic incentives, and public education regarding what constitutes sustainable decision making.

Working toward a Sustainable Future

Abstract How can our society address the complex interaction of environmental, social, and economic problems in the 21st century? We propose that federal agencies in the United States complement their existing regulatory framework with new initiatives based on the “innovation cycle” for sustainability. This approach includes engaging stakeholders, advancing sustainability science and systems thinking, encouraging public-private partnerships, and developing decision-support capabilities to enable sustainable and resilient solutions. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) is moving in this direction through new actions defined in the agency’s Strategic Plan for 2014–2018. In this Community Essay, we highlight examples of how the innovation cycle enables progress on critical issues facing USEPA and other agencies, and we argue for increased government-business collaboration, federal agency coordination, and public involvement.

Perspectives on achieving sustainable energy production and use

The traditional definition of sustainability calls for policies and strategies that meet society’s present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Through the 1970 National Environmental Policy Act, U.S. policy formally established the goal of creating and maintaining “conditions under which [humans] and nature can exist in productive harmony, and fulfill the social, economic and other requirements of present and future generations of Americans.” However, we have not yet succeeded in making sustainability operational. The long-standing and current debates on setting energy policy, regulating greenhouse gases, and promoting alternate fuels illustrate the complexity of making sustainability operational. Achieving operational sustainability requires three critical elements: advances in science and technology, application of effective government regulations and policies, and green business practices. Not only are these elements necessary, all three must work toget...

Response to Creating the future we want

“Creating the Future We Want” by Alan Hecht et al. presents a policy approach designed to address a range of social, economic, and environmental issues, grouped under the heading of sustainability. The approach is a version of “doing good by doing well” (Bonini & Mendonca, 2011). It emphasizes alignment of interests and actions between government and business. The opening paragraph conveys the article’s tone:

It’s OK to Talk About Sustainability

For much of the recent past, state and local governments and a number of businesses have led in making sustainability operational in the United States, but federal policies have lagged far behind. Today, however, environmental, economic, and social pressures are beginning to move governments and businesses to more urgently and effectively adopt sustainable management policies and practices. This shift in public policy and business strategy reflects a new reality that today’s problems are more complex, involve new stressors and multiple environmental media, and thus require approaches that extend beyond traditional business practices or media-specific legislation. The transition to sustainability will not be easy. For the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), this means going beyond the existing regulatory framework and advancing an environmental policy and research agenda that promotes sustainability science, innovation, and problem solving. For business and government alike, this means that innovation and sustainability science must be major drivers to advance economic growth while protecting the environment and human health. More than ever, it is “OK to talk about sustainability.”