EPA's Sector Strategies

In the growing matrix of public-private partnerships, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) established its Sector Strategies program to improve industrial environmental performance, while simultaneously reducing the burden of environmental regulation. EPA's Office of Policy, Economics and Innovation (OPEI) created the Sector Strategies program to work with a group of manufacturing sectors on a set of focused actions that will provide industry-wide environmental gains by crafting sector-specific solutions to environmental problems. The initiative is a voluntary partnership program that provides industry with performance-enhancing incentives and tools and works to identify and remove regulatory barriers that stifle innovation and environmental progress.

NPCA, on behalf of the paint and coatings industry, has partnered with EPA as one of the sectors eager to work cooperatively with the agency in an effort for each to teach, understand, and act in the interest of both the environment and manufacturing/business. Businesses benefit by getting an EPA industry liaison; EPA and state regulators benefit by getting better cooperation, support, and problem-solving ideas from participating industries, all of which is focused on procuring measurable environmental gains.

EPA's Sector Strategies works because of its reciprocal approach to raising environmental returns by focusing on definite, recognized sector-specific burdens. Under this construction, OPEI works with select trade associations, EPA program offices and regions, states, and other groups to find sensible solutions to sector-specific problems. Specifically, OPEI works with the invited sectors to promote environmental management systems (EMS), foster better regulatory performance, and improve mechanisms for measuring environmental progress. Working at the industry-specific level enables policymakers to focus on issues and problem solving at a manageable level, with knowledgeable participants, as opposed to the traditional one-size-fits-all method. Industry-based programs enable federal, state, and local government agencies to use the power of trade groups to achieve broad action by many companies, taking innovative ideas from pilot to mainstream. Sector-based approaches offer opportunities to industries, states, and communities to develop voluntary partnerships to focus on issues that matter to them environmentally and economically.

For its program, EPA evaluated sectors on the basis of each sector's potential to address the Administration's current environmental priorities: reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and smog, improved water quality and infrastructure, increased recycling of hazardous waste, and enhanced environmental protection in agriculture. Also evaluated was each sector's potential to expand the voluntary use of EMS among its member companies. In the end, OPEI selected 13 manufacturing and service sectors in consultation with EPA program and regional offices.

According to EPA's 2006 Sector Strategies Performance Report, the paint and coatings industry sector has made remarkable environmental strides:

  • 97% of all waste solvents from paint and coatings manufacturing facilities are reclaimed for future use.
  • Emissions from hazardous air pollutants were reduced by 53% between 1994 and 2003.
  • In just five years, the quantity of VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions resulting from the use of paint and coatings products declined by approximately 10%.
  • 82% of architectural coatings sales are environmentally preferable water-based paint.
  • The paint and coatings manufacturing sector accounted for less than 1% of the hazardous waste generated nationally in 2003.

NPCA's landmark, comprehensive environmental, health and safety program, Coatings Care® — which is a condition of membership — helped confirm to OPEI the association's and industry's commitment to a history of sustained compliance and continuous environmental improvement. Additionally, NPCA has an established relationship with EPA as one of its early network partners in the agency's National Environmental Performance Track Program, which provides incentives and benefits for industries demonstrating a voluntary commitment to going beyond compliance requirements in their environmental performance. As such, NPCA welcomed EPA's invitation to partner in Sector Strategies as an opportunity to work on behalf of industry and, in doing so, encourage uniformity among EPA and state and local regulators' goals.

Harnessing the flexibility and power of both regulators and industry, Sector Strategies will enable many companies to achieve high environmental standards, promoting widespread environmental stewardship and EMS use. It will help expand regulatory flexibility from facility-specific pilots to industry-wide outcomes and ultimately result in increased environmental benefits – something traditional command and control systems do not often accomplish.

For more information on EPA's Sector Strategies program, visit http://www.epa.gov/sectors/index.html.