Navigating New Air Pollution Regulations: From Compliance to Integrated Strategy

Below is an excerpt from ISS-Corporate’s recently released paper “Navigating New Air Pollution Regulations: From Compliance to Integrated Strategy”. The full paper is available for download from the ISS-Corporate online library.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Recent EPA rulings have tightened standards for air pollutants, including PM2.5, ethylene oxide and chloroprene. These changes impact high-emitting sectors and require significant investments in clean technology.
• Most companies in the affected sectors are not publicly disclosing metrics on these air pollutants, potentially raising concerns about the active and transparent management of emissions.
• Companies must track, report, and mitigate their emissions to avoid legal and reputational risks. Enhanced EPA enforcement now includes changes to permitting, fence line monitoring, and promotes the adoption of greater emissions reduction technologies.
• Adhering to new regulations and integrating an Environmental Justice (EJ) framework into corporate strategies can improve community relations, enhance public image, and position companies as leaders in sustainability, turning compliance challenges into competitive advantages.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recently tightened standards and stepped-up enforcement for certain types of air pollutants, putting pressure on companies in high-emitting sectors to take additional steps to mitigate their output and become more transparent about the substances they release into the atmosphere. Companies that are proactive in developing an effective Environmental Justice plan can comply with these increased regulatory standards and can reap benefits associated with enhanced environmental protection.

In this report, ISS-Corporate breaks down the new regulatory standards and reviews how they are applied and the steps that companies must take to comply with them. The report also provides analysis on how companies are currently performing in terms of disclosing their emissions and examining the potential benefits of developing a comprehensive Environmental Justice plan.

READ THE FULL PAPER >