Sustainability has become an increasingly discussed topic in the United States, particularly with the initiatives proposed by the Obama Administration. During his campaign for the White House, President Obama made it clear that sustainable initiatives would be one of his top priorities. His assertion that the development of his “green economy” would create 5 million jobs has been debated by analysts of varying persuasions (see my recent blog article for a more thorough discussion of this debate) but nonetheless speaks to his belief that America cannot continue indefinitely with the practices of the past.
At a March 12 meeting of Business Roundtable, an organization comprising CEOs from America’s leading companies which collectively see annual revenues of $5 trillion and employ some 10 million people, President Obama made his intentions clear. He addressed the group saying, “We all know that the country that harnesses the power of renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it’s China that’s launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids will roll of our assembly lines, but they’re running on battery cells made in Korea. I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It’s time for America to lead.”
The average American produces 4.6 pounds of waste (the most in the world) in one day; only about 1.5 pounds of that waste is recycled. With no federally mandated recycling laws in America, local and state jurisdictions must implement recycling programs with scarce resources and, as of 2006, only about 8,600 curbside recycling programs existed in the United States (actually fewer than in 2003 perhaps due to budgetary restraints facing many local and state jurisdictions). As President Obama attempts to ignite the flame of sustainability in America, many of America’s economic competitors are well on their way to establishing sustainable practices within their countries and among their citizens. Several notable examples deserve attention.
The UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) received £4.5 million to implement waste reduction incentive programs in local jurisdictions across the country. Additionally, the UK’s new “Recycle on the Go” program has placed recycling bins in public spaces making it much easier for the average individual to recycle waste when not at home.
The French are world-renowned for their efficient recycling programs – so efficient, in fact, that until recently the UK sent a portion of its waste to France for recycling processing. Parisians are provided with two bins for recycling, one for glass and one for paper, metal and plastic. The rest of Paris’ waste is sorted at a facility outside the city and what can be recycled is.
A recent poll suggests that nine out of ten people in Berlin willingly sort their trash and Berliners are provided with seven different bins for waste. Similarly effective programs are found throughout Germany. A hallmark of the German system is that Germany handles all of its waste within its borders, avoiding the use of fuels to transport waste elsewhere for sorting and recycling.
Some countries have placed much of the impetus and cost of recycling on manufacturers. Spanish law, for example, requires that food and drink companies pay for the cost of recycling glass containers in which their products are sold.
The Chinese, as Obama pointed out, are making tremendous strides in implementing sustainable initiatives. For example, in April 2006 the National Development Reform Commission launched a program targeted at the top 1,000 companies in China which collectively consume some one-third of the nation’s primary energy resources. The plan would force these companies to make significant strides in implementing energy efficient practices. A December 2007 Treehugger.com article notes that China’s recycling industry is boosted by average Chinese citizens who are perhaps attempting to supplement their incomes through recycling waste. Regardless of motivations, there can be little doubt that with 1,338,612,968 people (July 2008 estimate), the Chinese have the manpower necessary to make a tremendous impact on Chinese sustainability initiatives.
As the United States and its international neighbors enter a world in which climate change is a pressing issue, it will be up to nations to work together to find viable solutions. The European Sustainability Reporting Association (ESRA) is one forum in which European countries are able to share best practices and trends in order to most effectively and efficiently address the issues relating to climate change within their respective borders. The International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) is a unique initiative in which local jurisdictions can become members and promote more sustainable practices at a local level. To date, more than 180 European cities representing more than 55 million citizens have become members of this organization.
President Obama and the United States face a unique challenge vis-à-vis sustainability. Whereas the United States has once been the leader in most international forums and initiatives, there is little doubt that when it comes to sustainability we have much to learn from others. With the upcoming discussions scheduled for December in Copenhagen centered on redrafting the controversial Kyoto Protocol, I am hopeful that President Obama will dedicate some of his time to placing the United States at the forefront of those discussions. Indeed, it seems that whereas the United States once led the world in creating energy-efficient technologies, we are failing to provide leadership in sustainability initiatives.
