Enviance Blog

Enviance User Conference: Compliance Today, Leadership Tomorrow

Two weeks ago, the Enviance User Conference continued its annual tradition of bringing together some of the world’s leading experts on environmental compliance and sustainability. Professionals from the oil, gas, coal, retail, manufacturing and utility industries met to discuss the latest trends in environmental compliance, voluntary greenhouse emissions reporting and AB 32 enforcement.

And while Subpart W and Title V compliance were among the hot agenda items, one of the most interesting features of this year’s conference was the participation of March Madness Environmental Tournament winner, Colby College. Through February and March, Enviance partnered with Environmental Leader to host a “March Madness” tournament that identified the 16 most prolific environmental undergraduate programs in the country, with the naming of an eventual National Champion.

That champion was Colby College and, as a result, Enviance invited Dr. Philip Nyhus, Colby’s assistant professor of environmental studies, to represent the college and present at the conference.

Dr. Nyhus presented to a crowded room of environmental professionals about what today’s higher education institutions are doing to prepare the environmental leaders of tomorrow. The discussion lasted over an hour as Dr. Nyhus engaged with representatives  from some of the world’s largest companies on how higher education institutions can better collaborate with private industry to ensure that tomorrow’s environmental professionals succeed as they enter the workforce.

Questions and comments ranged from teaching students better basic lab skills to the importance of real-world internships, but the common theme seemed to be that private industry, NGOs and regulatory bodies all could do a better job at working together to achieve their common goals, and perhaps that mission could be instilled in today’s students.

The discussion also got us thinking that colleges would make a great venue to bring together alumni that represent private industry, the public sector and nonprofits together to have a calm, productive dialogue about the future environmental regulation in the confines of their alma mater. Nothing fosters cooperative spirit like having something in common.  

The world of environmental governance, risk and compliance continues to get more complex, and our hope is that simple, informal dialogue can help cut through the clutter and develop solutions that answer the needs of all stakeholders.

Earth Day 2012: A Look Back, And Thoughts on What is to Come

Today, 175 countries around the world join Enviance in celebrating the 42^nd annual Earth Day, a holiday that has helped garner support for pieces of environmental legislation like the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act.

We wanted to take a look back at progress made since Earth Day 2011, and provide our thoughts on the coming year.

We’ve seen some unexpected shifts in supporters, and opponents, of clean energy: In August the U.S. military, perhaps the most conservative organization in the country, set aggressive goals to become 25 percent renewable by 2025.

On the flipside, we saw environmental groups including the Sierra Club and National Resource Defense Council file a lawsuit to stall a renewable energy project, pitting allies against one another.

What about emissions and carbon reduction?

A report showed that the 10 Northeast states participating in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) reduced carbon emissions in 2011 to their lowest level since 2009, and at a whopping 34 percent less than the RGGI cap.

What’s best is that, according to the report, this was achieved “without significant investment in new electric generation.” Encouraging news for our friends in the power industry.

Also, just last month the EPA proposed its first carbon emission standards for new power plants, which would replace a number of planned coal plants for cleaner-burning natural gas and renewables.

What will the rest of 2012 bring?

California, the eighth largest economy in the world, will hold its first carbon permit auction on November 14. It has the potential to generate more than $1 billion in 2012 alone and, if successful, could provide the template for national cap and trade legislation.

Speaking of national legislation, what will the impact of our next President be? President Obama has already made significant environmental progress, and if elected a second term, his motivation will shift from re-election to legacy, and environmental progress will increase even further.

That said, if Mitt Romney is elected, we would have a President who acknowledges the need to reduce carbon emissions, but is also extremely pro-business – would he be able to implement national cap and trade legislation?

What do you think the biggest environmental advances have been over the last year? Let us know in the comment section below!

Congratulations to Colby College—National Champion of the First-Ever March Madness Tournament for Environmental Studies!

Who? That may be the reaction of some people around the country when they hear that, in the first-ever independent, submission-based tournament to identify the top Environmental studies program, little Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, took home the top prize. But to those in the industry with any knowledge of top private academic institutions, Colby is a powerhouse, combining a top-flight academic reputation with an organically built environmental program.

Best of all? The college practices what it preaches, as is evident by the quality of its student survey, picture and video submissions, and the sustainability programs it has put in place.

We also have to recognize the excellence of the other Final Four members. Both Rochester Institute of Technology and Colorado State University finished within 13 points of the winner (out of a possible 500; less than three percentage points) and deserve recognition for the excellent programs they have built and the impeccable reputations of their schools. Purdue, the tournament’s last remaining “800-pound gorilla,” brought a lot of credibility and passion to its submission, and would join RIT and CSU as top contenders (or #1 seeds if you will) for the title in next year’s tournament. Unlike athletics where graduations and early departures may damage a team’s chances at repeating a deep run, these departments will likely return almost every year.

So hopefully our Sustainable 16 will be back next year to make their run, and will be joined by some of the other elite programs around the country, in the campaign to be the second annual champion.

So what did this year’s champion win?

The Colby College Environmental Studies Program will receive a $5,000 donation from Enviance. Also, an academic representative of the department is invited to attend the Enviance User Conference in April, where they will participate in a panel titled, “What Tomorrow’s Environmental Leaders Need to Know.” While at the conference, the representative can also attend sessions from some of the top professionals in the areas of environmental compliance and greenhouse gas management. Furthermore, two students will be picked from the Final Four overall to receive free netbooks, and one student from each of the four schools will be profiled in Environmental Leader, as one of “Tomorrow’s Environmental Leaders.”

But the best prize of all may be the recognition these schools are receiving for building first-class programs. Hopefully, companies looking for their next hires in the fields of environmental science and business will use the tournament results as a “short list’ for recruiting. And we think high school seniors may take a harder look at our Final Four, as well as schools like Humboldt State, UT-Arlington, Ohio State and UC Davis, when building out their list of potential colleges.

Again, Enviance would like to congratulate all of the Sustainable 16 schools and invite them to participate in next year’s competition (information on submitting to be available in December 2012). We would also like to thank our panel of independent judges, including The Brattle Group, CH2M HILL, Trinity Consultants, Valero and our very own CEO, Larry Goldenhersh.

Congratulations to Colby College, National Champion of the first-ever March Madness Tournament for Environmental Studies!