S-/EPA
Podcast Transcript
Barbara Bennett on EPA's Technology Innovation Roadmap
April, 2012
[music]
Host Nathan Gentry:
This is an inside look at EPA's Roadmap, Technology Innovation for Environmental and Economic
Progress. I'm Nathan Gentry. Today we're talking to EPA's Chief Financial Officer Barbara Bennett to find
out what the roadmap means for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's work and what it means
for the business community.
Barb, what is the Technology Innovation Roadmap?
Barbara Bennett:
So the Technology Innovation Roadmap is really a plan for EPA to promote technology innovation.
Many environmental problems can be prevented or addressed through innovative technologies that
reduce or minimize pollution and, at the same time, these technologies can grow the American
economy. When EPA asks the private sector to work with us to solve environmental problems, we're
also talking about new business opportunities. We're talking about entrepreneurs who discover
innovative ways of reducing air or water pollution or reusing electronic waste. These technologies can
be brought to the marketplace, creating jobs. It's a win for the environment and people's health and a
win for the economy.
So the Roadmap helps EPA focus its efforts in three areas: research & development, engaging with the
private sector, and taking a look at our own regulatory process. On the R&D side, we need to encourage
scientific research in promising environmental technologies. We also need to talk more with the private
sector in terms of access to capital for these new technologies, bringing them to scale in the
marketplace. And from a regulatory standpoint, we need to take a look at our rules and ensure that
sound environmental policy choices drive technological innovation which can provide a stronger
environmental protection at lower economic costs. These three pieces are key to our work and how we
can encourage technology innovation in support of sustainable environmental and human health
protection.
Host Nathan Gentry:
So, as the Chief Financial Officer for EPA, what does this mean for your work?
Barbara Bennett:
So the Roadmap provides a framework for connecting and advancing a number of activities that we're
currently doing to promote technology and innovation. One area that I'm focusing on is engaging the
private sector. In May, we are sponsoring a Technology Market Summit with American University here in
DC. The Summit will bring together about a 150 leaders from the public and private sectors to identify
how we can accelerate the growth of environmental technology market. The group will include
representatives from government, industry, academia, and the investment community. I am very
excited about the Summit and see it as a first step to opening dialogues and connecting the players.
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Host Nathan Gentry:
What topics will the Summit focus on?
Barbara Bennett:
We have a number of fantastic speakers lined up spanning government, private companies, and the
nonprofit community. We are fortunate to have EPA's Administrator Lisa Jackson and other of her
Cabinet colleagues opening up the Summit, including Secretary of Commerce John Bryson and the U.S.
Trade Representative Ron Kirk. While the day is about technology, the morning will look at three
specific case studies, and the afternoon will look more broadly at innovation and private sector
investment opportunities.
So we'll be focusing on three areas as case studies for environmental technologies. The first area is on
supply chain, with a particular case study to be on the clean and sustainable automotive supply chain.
We'll talk about current technologies, challenges in the supply chain to advanced materials, the policy
drivers of new technologies, and what market opportunities there may be. The second area will be on
air monitoring, with a particular case study focusing discussion on real-time fence line air monitoring.
We'll investigate the development and deployment of innovative air monitoring technology to promote
better health and improve the bottom line. And the third case study will focus on energy opportunities
from biodigesters and biogas. We'll explore technologies and strategies to overcome impediments to
harnessing energy from waste resources.
Then in the afternoon we have lined up some leaders in the field to bring the environmental technology
and the finance issues together in what I expect will be a stimulating and thought provoking exchange of
ideas and opportunities. My goal is that the Summit is a first step in moving forward to address
challenges and start applying solutions - to see results and actions.
Host Nathan Gentry:
That sounds like a great event. What other sorts of activities are you doing to implement the ideas in the
roadmap?
Barbara Bennett:
Well during my time at EPA, I've been putting my corporate background to use by speaking to the
investment community, big and small, about environmental technologies. We as an Agency need to
improve the way we communicate with the private sector. In particular, we need to show businesses
there are opportunities to earn market rate returns on environmental technologies and projects. I have
gotten a tremendously positive response from the investment community so far.
What's great about the roadmap is that it expresses how EPA is thinking differently about environmental
technology - connecting the important dots of research and development, the private sector, and our
regulatory process - so that we can figure out better ways of doing business to protect the environment
and human health.
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Host Nathan Gentry:
How do you see the roadmap's vision changing over time?
Barbara Bennett:
Well the details of EPA's projects and priorities will change over time. But the overall importance of
fostering and supporting technology innovation as an important component of sustainable
environmental protection will remain. Government cannot and should not be the only driver. But what
EPA can do is play a crucial role in catalyzing interest and understanding in markets for business
opportunities in environmental technologies and environmental protection. And we can encourage
small business entrepreneurs in their pursuit of environmentally beneficial technologies.
Host Nathan Gentry:
Thank you so much for talking with me today, Barb.
If you would like to learn more about EPA's Technology Innovation Roadmap, you can visit
www.epa.gov/envirofinance/innovation.html. where you can read the Roadmap and learn about other
activities EPA is doing to further this important work. Thanks for joining us.
[music]
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