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Sustainable Environmental Stewardship
About This Page
Environmental Management Systems
Sustainable Buildings
Green Purchasing
Electronics Stewardship
Industrial Ecology
Life Cycle Assessment
Coming Soon:
- Sustainable Practices
- Speeches and Articles
- Networks
Sustainable Environmental Stewardship
What is "sustainable environmental stewardship" and how does it relate
to sustainable development? First, sustainable development is a concept
with many definitions that vary not only across national borders, but
also over time. Suffice to say that at its core, most definitions
concur that the essence of sustainable development includes the
advancement of societies in a way that balances the social, economic,
and environmental needs of current and future generations.
Clearly, policies and actions related to sustainable development will
be rather far reaching and deal not only with environmental, but also with
social, economic, health, education, and related fields. This website,
and OFEE's mission in general, focus on the environmental contribution
to that broad picture. It is understood however that although focused
on environmental, the ideas and practices promoted herein are in line
with the broader concept, and will lead to overall, long term
improvement, of society, the economy, as well as the environment.
We define sustainable environmental stewardship to include those
concepts, strategies, tools, practices, and approaches that lead to
environmental improvement in a manner that is sustainable over time,
considers the long term effects as well as the shorter term, more
immediate effects, and that contributes positively, even if indirectly,
to the social and economic condition.
About This Page
Above you will find links to tools. Most prominent is the use of
Environmental Management systems (EMS) as the primary management
approach to determining, prioritizing, implementing, and improving upon
those environmental issues that will lead to sustainable environmental
stewardship. Other tools discussed below include industrial ecology
and life cycle assessment.
You will also find links to what we refer to as sustainable practices.
These are practices, technological applications, and methodologies that
improve the environment, but go beyond and do so in a way that is more
long term in thinking and implications, and that apply the tools. We
provide direction as links to learning more about these practices in
the work of other Federal entities, as well as links to our own website
areas that discuss the core sustainable practices focus areas of OFEE,
such as sustainable buildings, green purchasing, and electronics
stewardship.
Thirdly, we provide links to speeches and articles given by many who
work in the area of sustainable environmental stewardship, both from
within the Federal community as well as from outside communities.
Finally, and probably most enlightening, you will find links to the
many other organizations and networks that deal with the topic. These range
from the State Department and the President's Council on Environmental
Quality that address national policy issues, to specific parts of
agencies where practices are put in play on a daily basis. We also
direct you to other networks of organizations, Federal and nonfederal,
which are sharing the road on this journey towards sustainable
environmental stewardship.
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