Environmental Quality Incentives Program

This transition will require a new mission for the industry that promotes human health and environmental quality as seriously as the market promotes economic efficiency and product effectiveness. Put conceptually, a sustainable chemical industry would be one that optimizes value from the use of chemicals, adds no new risks to everyday life, increases natural capital, minimizes the transfer of risks from one generation to another, respects and enhances the natural functioning of the planet s ecosystems, and assures no net loss of valuable resources. Creating such an industry will require government policy and market incentives that promote sustainability. This will require financial investment institutions and international development programs that are committed to developing an industry that is as ecologically sound and socially sensitive as it is economically productive. 

Cynthia L. Morgan is in the Research and Program Support Division of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Morgan s current research and policy analysis interests are in water quality regulations and economic incentives for pollution control. She received her B.S. in Finance and her M.A. in Economics from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro and her Ph.D. in Applied Economics from the University of Minnesota. 

---