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

Cohen, Steven; Eimicke, William; Miller, Alison

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1118916379 ISBN 13: 9781118916377

Publisher: Jossey-Bass, 2015

Synopsis

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.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Praise for Sustainability Policy

"Forceful, comprehensive, and full of real-world applications, this is a must-read for any public or private manager serious about running a sustainable enterprise. Indeed, the authors make a powerful case that sustainability management is no longer a choice, but an economic, social, and public health imperative. They explain the urgent need for effective federal and state sustainability policy, and why we are not getting it. And they highlight the particular importance of cities and private enterprise in filling the gap. Sustainability Policy is an invaluable resource for policymakers, managers, and students who want to understand the field and take part in it."
—Caswell Holloway,Deputy COO, Bloomberg LP

"It's easy to confuse environmentalism and sustainability, but they have different purposes. This book clearly defines what sustainability policy is and isn't, and what role each level of government has in executing it."
—Rohit T. Aggarwala, Professor, Columbia University; former Director of Long-Term Planning and Sustainability, City of New York

"Sustainability Policy offers an accessible and pragmatic approach to understanding how to move society toward a 'renewable economy' and a sustainable future. In introducing the reader to the types of policy tools that can be effective in changing how energy resources are developed and used, this book underscores the feasibility of achieving a sustainable future. At the same time, it draws attention to some of the key features of the management and political context that shape how sustainability policies are devised and implemented. Throughout this book, the authors not only show us what is possible, but also lay out a realistic path to get there."
—Tanya Heikkila, Associate Professor & Director, PhD program, School of Public Affairs, University of Colorado Denver

"This path-breaking book presents an in-depth, wide-ranging analysis of why global society is experiencing significant difficulty achieving sustainability. The authors convincingly argue that major changes must take place in our economic system, government policymaking and implementation, and government management if we are to achieve a sustainable global framework. Both researchers and students will find this study informative and illuminating."
—Sheldon Kamieniecki, Dean, Social Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz

"Sustainability Policy is a must-read for anyone wanting to better understand the future of our country's energy economy. It is a definitive book on how we will effectively manage our public policy system into the realities of the 21st century and beyond."
—Howard W. Buffett, Lecturer in International and Public Affairs, Columbia University

From the Inside Flap

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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Jossey-Bass
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1118916379
• ISBN 13: 9781118916377
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288