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Environmental Accountability in the Public Sector As It Is Established in USA

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Environmental Accountability in the Public Sector As It Is Established in USA Environmental Accountability for the public sector, a comparative analysis in three countries: Australia, Mexico and USA. Enrique Carlos Trejo Orozco Student no. 297281 [email protected] Mobile phone: 0628117639 Master International Public Management Title: Environmental Accountability for the public sector, a comparative analysis in three countries: Australia, Mexico and USA. 1 For my wife Jaqueline and my sons: Enrique Uriahd, and Mariano Paolo. Thanks for all the love, comprehension and support. 2 Acknowledgements This work, as most of the intellectual activities of our time it was possible because the cooperation of many people and institutions. In this sense, a first acknowledgement is for the institutions that made possible my travel to Netherlands: the Department of Political Studies of the Humanities and Social Sciences Centre of the University of Guadalajara, the Department of Public Administration of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Rotterdam Erasmus University, and the Municipal Presidency of Zapopan period 2003-2006 A second and very special acknowledgement is to my parents Carlos and Irma who always have been there supporting my, in good and bad times. Another special acknowledge is for the group of people from whose I have received their friendship and valuable help: • From Guadalajara: Enrique Ibarra, Alberto Uribe, Hugo Michel, Gilberto Pérez, Teresa López, Bruno López, Gabriel Ibarra, Ismael Del Toro, Carlos Sedano, Héctor Raúl Solis, Marcos Pablo Moloeznick, Teresa Marroquin, the Dean of the Humanities and Social Sciences Centre Dr. Juan Manuel Duran Juárez, and the Presidents of the Municipality of Zapopan, Lic. Arturo Zamora and Ing. Ismael Orozco. • From Rotterdam: Juan Pablo Castro, Hamlet Bueno, Daniel de Witt, Sindre Ramung, Jessica Keetelar, Benjamin Didszuweit, Zhichuan Chen, Sietse Wijnsma, Ruzhen Zhuang, Daniel Levisson, Lampros Kontogeorgos, Vasile Tofan, Carijn Tulp, Thomas Zijderveld, Ernst Barendregt, Paula Wester, Evelien van den Broek, Karin Dietvorst, and the professors Frans Van Nispen, Jacko Van Ast, and Christopher Pollitt. And finally all my gratefulness to the adorable ladies Sonja Balsem and Sonia Acosta whose always gave my an excellent treatment and helped me whenever I needs it. I gratefully acknowledge the support I have received at various times from all of you. Enrique Trejo 3 Contents Title Page Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………......... 6 1. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… 7 1.1. Antecedents 1.2. Research Objectives 1.3. Main and Secondary Research Questions 1.4. Methodology Diagram of the Comparative Analysis 1.5. Research place in the body of knowledge of public administration 1.6. Work Structure 2. Humans and their Environment……………………………………………………. …. 13 2.1. History of the human concern about environmental issues 2.2. Public Institutions and Environmental Issues 2.3. World influences on the environment Diagram of a world influences on environment 3. Accountability…………………………………………………………………............... 19 3.1. The concept 3.2. New Public Management and Accountability 3.3. Horizontal-vertical, political, legal and managerial accountability Table of Accountability Dimensions 3.4. Parliamentary Accountability 3.5. Codes of Accountability 3.6. Social Accountability 3.7. Accountability Regimes Table of Accountability Regimes in the Public Sector 3.8. Accountability Challenges 4. Environmental Accountability………………………………………………………….. 31 4.1. Corporate Environmental Governance (CEG) 4.2. Why develop a system of environmental accountability for the public sector? Diagram of Environmental Issues 4.3. Concept of environmental accountability 4.4. Elements of a system of environmental accountability for the public sector 4.4.1. Environmental accounting Diagram of an environmental cost accounting system 4.4.2. Environmental Audit 4.5. Format of the case-studies 5. Australia………………………………………………………………………………….. 45 5.1. The Australian government 5.2. The Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH) DEH Organizational Structure 5.3. Australian National Audit Office ANAO Organizational Structure 5.4. Remarks 4 6. Mexico……………………………………………………………………………………. 52 6.1. The Mexican Government 6.2. The Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources (SEMARNAT) SEMARNAT Organizational Structure 6.3. Secretariat of the Public Function (SFP) 6.4. The Supreme Audit of the Federation (ASF) ASF Organizational Structure 6.5. Remarks 7. United States of America………………………………………………………………. 61 7.1. The American Government 7.2. The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) EPA Organizational Structure 7.3. The Inspector General Offices (IGO´s) 7.4. The General Accountability Office (GAO) GAO Organizational Structure 7.5. Remarks 8. Comparative Analysis…………………………………………………………………... 70 8.1. The comparative policy analysis 8.2. The points of Focus of the comparative analysis 8.2.1. Characteristics of the organization(s) responsible for the accountability in the public sector 8.2.2. Characteristics of the organization(s) responsible for the enforcement of environment laws and regulations 8.2.3. Definitions of environmental accountability in national or international regulations 8.2.4. Mechanisms of environmental accountability applied to the organizations of the public sector 8.2.5. Products of the environmental accountability of public sector organizations, as reports, data information, studies, recommendations Table of Products from the National Systems of Environmental Accountability 8.2.6. Kind and type of sanctions derived from application of environmental 8.3. The Indicators 8.3.1. Emissions Reports 8.3.2. Government Support 8.3.3. Public Access 8.3.4. Citizens Participation 8.3.5. Corporate Culture 8.4. The Stakeholders 9. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………………. 79 9.1. Answers to research questions 9.2. Remarks, observations and recommendations 10. References and Bibliography………………………………………………………… 85 11. Appendix ………………………………………………………………………………89-115 5 Abstract The work defines environmental accountability as a new mechanism that humans have to ensure sustainable economic growth. Identifies the historic and theoretical development of environmental accountability and the empirical research try to answer two main questions: how is applied the environmental accountability of the public sector in three different national public management systems? And how can be improved? In the first four chapters of the work is presented a set of explanations from several historic and theoretical perspectives that answer the questions: from where it comes from? what is? And what are the elements that constitute a system of environmental accountability? This part together with the introduction and a brief chapter focused to the relation of humans with their environment constitute the theoretical part of the research. In the practical part of the work is exposed the results of the empirical research realized through academic articles, the juridical framework and the websites of institutions related with environmental and accountability issues. This part try to answer the question: What are Australia, Mexico and USA doing about environmental accountability for the public sector? Next to that three chapters where is exposed the main elements of the national systems of environmental accountability, there is a chapter that analyzes the convergences and divergences of each country, and finally in the conclusions are presented the answers to the main and secondary research questions and are proposed a set of strategies to improve the systems of environmental accountability for the public sector. After the conclusions is presented an appendix that shows the specific mechanisms of environmental accountability of each nation that were considered in the research. 6 1. Introduction 1.1. Antecedents The relation of humans with their environment is very complex and can be divided in several stages according with the predominant social point of view sustained by the majority of people in several historic periods. At the beginning it can be mentioned that the ancient indigenous cultures which inhabited diverse parts of the world as Africa, America or Australia, didn’t recognized any predominance of species and for them all the forms of life have the same value. For those societies the environment is part of a great holistic mega-system where absolutely all the elements as plants, animals, humans and some other immanent matters play an important role and are interconnected in a not rational way that affects and is affected continuously and mutually. Another age of the relation of humans with their environment can be identified in the works of Greek philosophers as Aristotle and the Christians writers of the Bible who manifested recommendations for utilize the natural resources in an “adequate” way in order to ensure the harmonic development of the human life. Thousands of years later, together with the invention of internal combustion machines a new relation of humans and environment emerged. This “modern” age saw the environment as an inexhaustible provider of natural resources for the humans intentions; and as can be imagined under this social point of view the environment suffer great and irremediable damages. But finally, just in the latest thirty to forty years it can be said that we are living in a postmodern age about the relation of humans with their environment. In this new age the technological advances, the increase of information sources and a global concern about climatic phenomena and pollution disasters
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