Sustainable Development/Sustainable Business Practices

Speeches Shim

International treaties, conventions, etc.

  • United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
    The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development came into force on January 1, 2016. They recognize that ending poverty must go hand-in-hand with strategies that build economic growth and addresses a range of social needs including education, health, social protection, and job opportunities, while tackling climate change and environmental protection. While the SDGs are not legally binding, governments are expected to establish national frameworks for their achievement.

U.S. National Laws

Appropriations
  • Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Bill, 2016 (p. 8)
    The Appropriations Committee directs the Department of State and USAID to continue to consolidate redundant services and operations at diplomatic facilities abroad. The Committee expects each agency funded by the act to continue to detail the findings of environmental assessments and water and energy audits of their overseas operations, and to submit these findings to the Committee not later than September 30, 2016, including an explanation of steps taken to implement any recommendations and a comparison of such findings with Federal targets for building energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

Executive Actions

  • Executive Order 13693 - Planning for Federal Sustainability
    EO 13693 replaces EO 13514, Federal Leadership in Environment, Energy, and Economic Performance. The new EO maintains overall greenhouse gas reduction goals and emphasizes a continuation of the policy of the United States that federal agencies increase efficiency and improve their environmental performance.

Agency Policy

  • Agency Sustainability Plan
    Each year USAID submits an annual sustainability plan to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) containing a summary of agency actions to meet the requirements of Executive Order 13693 (Section 14). These actions also support the Agency's overall policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, foster a clean energy economy and sustain the environment by conducting operations and programs in an environmentally responsible manner.
     
  • Energy Management and Planning Program for USAID Buildings, ADS Chapter 528
    ADS 528 provides guidance and mechanisms for USAID to reduce energy use in USAID-owned and leased buildings, located both domestically and overseas, and buildings where either USAID or an alternate federal agency provides facilities management and services.

Implementation Guidelines, Tools, and Other Resources

  • Project Design Sustainability Analysis Tool
    In accordance with Agency requirements for sustainability analysis outlined in USAID's Project Design Guidance, the Sustainability Analysis Tool offers a menu of illustrative questions, issues, and examples to help USAID Project Design Teams begin to think through the sustainability objectives of projects in order to help their Mission consider how best to design projects that maximize sustainable outcomes.
     
  • U.S. Environmental Solutions Toolkit
    The U.S. Environmental Solutions Toolkit marries EPA regulatory expertise to a list of U.S. companies which provide an environmental solution.  The target audience is both foreign regulators (to tap into EPA expertise) and foreign buyers (to have access to U.S. environmental technology companies

Agency POC

  • Agency Sustainability Coordinator/BEO for M Bureau: Dennis Durbin
Related Sectors of Work