Industrial Footprint Project for the Pulp and Paper Sector, Washington State

Last fall, Center for Sustainable Economy was retained by Earth Economics in Tacoma, Washington to provide a leading role in Washington State’s Industrial Footprint Project (IFP). The IFP is a project coordinated by the State’s Department of Ecology (DOE). The project’s goals are to develop an indicator system that can be used to quantify the benefits of sustainability investments and initiatives by major industrial sectors in the state. The first sector being addressed by the IFP is the pulp and paper industry. In collaboration with five participating mills, DOE, Earth Economics, and Redefining Progress, Center for Sustainable Economy has developed a set of 93 environmental, economic, and social indicators. The indicators address a wide range of critical issues such as climate change, air and water pollution, regional economic impact, workplace satisfaction, and social investments. This summer, CSE and its partners will help gather data for all 93 indicators and convert the data into a single numerical industrial footprint score that can be used to track year by year progress. The IFP is a model program. If successful, it will be applied to other sectors as a tool for making Washington State’s industries global leaders in sustainability performance. Read:

Indicators Evaluation     Model Scoring System  Sector Sustainability Initiatives