The Kenney administration finds environmental sustainability in a dramatically different place than it was 8 years ago at the start of the previous mayoral administration. In 2008, the city confronted a sustainability crisis. Before the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability, there was no centralized effort to collect data and establish baseline information on a number of important metrics. When Greenworks, the City of Philadelphia’s comprehensive sustainability plan, was developed in 2009, just 6 percent of the city’s curbside waste was recycled; the citywide rate of residential recycling in 2015 was more than 20 percent.
The luxury this progress has afforded is that environmental sustainability no longer demands aggressive, targeted interventions but can be more systematically integrated into municipal operations and service delivery. This shift has placed the Office of Sustainability in an uncharted position, necessitating a transition in its approach.
This made for a compelling time to have Director of the Office of Sustainability, Christine Knapp, join the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable for a discussion on the Synergy of Business and Environmental Sustainability. Knapp reflected on how the success of the previous 8 years has opened up new opportunities for the office, in addition to sharing insights into her plans for mobilizing a broad range of stakeholders to advance the city’s sustainability goals as it prepares to release an updated Greenworks in the fall.
Appointed in January by Mayor Kenney, Knapp brings unique perspective to the position. Having numerous years outside of government as an advocate, she is equipped
equipped to confront the inertia to change that often plagues large bureaucracies
He believes the creation of quality job opportunities follows effective policies that promote business growth. Policies, in his opinion, that the City is presently missing. In assessing the current state of affairs, Taubenberger stated, “The City puts the burden on the businesses for a lot of things. … I think successful business people leave the city [because] they feel the opportunity cost of being here is too tedious – especially small businesses.”
What is the cause for this convoluted regulatory climate? A lack of legislative review was cited as a principal factor. Many ordinances are passed to address temporary problems and fail to be reevaluated to assess its continued need. The result is a considerable number of unnecessary laws on the books. A possible means of addressing this, suggested by some experts, is to include a requirement for regular, periodic reviews after three or more years. While open to that idea, Taubenberger offered slowing the pace at which new rules proliferate as a more effective strategy. He suggested completing a economic impact assessment before enacting them.
Stopping this wheel from spinning, however, will require tackling a multitude of issues, ranging from improving access to financing to easing the procurement process.
4
The Synergy of Business & Environmental Sustainability