1. There
is hereby created the Office of Sustainability to be located in
the Department of Commerce and Economic Development.
2. The Office
of Sustainability shall assist in the development of sustainable
businesses in New Jersey. Sustainable businesses are defined as
those which:
a) obtain
their raw materials from substainable sources;
b) employ
manufacturing processes which do not have a significant negative
impact on the environment; and
c) produce
products which are environmentally benign or provide a solution
to an environmental problem or problems.
3. The Office
of Sustainability shall pursue three major objectives:
a) materially
promote sustainable business development in New Jersey;
b) assist
New Jersey's State government in providing institutional support
for sustainable businesses; and
c) assist
State government in incorporating the elements of sustainability
in its policies and programs.
4. Consistent
with its objectives, the Office will:
a) identify
areas in the New Jersey economy which can which can benefit
from sustainable business development;
b) assist
in the expansion of sustainable businesses currently located
in New Jersey;
c) assist
in the conversion of existing traditional businesses to sustainable
practices;
d) create
new sustainable businesses in New Jersey;
e) develop
compresive public procurement policy recommendations and guidelines
for the purchasing of sustainable products by government agencies;
f) coordinate
State agency activities to support sustainability; and
g) seek
the expertise of individuals and entities in the private sector
to assist the Office in attaining its goals.
5. The Office
is hereby authorized to appoint such staff as may be required
to fulfill the mandates of this Order, subject to the provisions
of Title 11 A (Civil Service Act) of the Revised Statutes, other
applicable statutes when relevant, and within the limits of the
appropriations provided to the Office. Any persons appointed by
this Office shall be designated employees of the Department of
Commerce and Economic Development.
6. The Commissioner
of the Department of Commerce and Economic Development shall provide
necessary facilities for the operation of the Office.
7. The Office
is authorized to call upon any department, office, division or
agency of this State to supply it with data and other information
or assistance as deemed necessary to discharge the duties of the
Office under this Order.
8. Each
agency of State government shall, to the degree possible, embrace
sustainability as an operating principle. Sustainable activities,
programs, and initiatives are those that enhance the health of
the ecosystem and maintain or promote environmental protection.
9. Each
department shall appoint a liaison to the Office. The liaison
shall work with the Office and his or her department to promote
sustainability as a working philosophy for that department.
10. A study
to evaluate the sustainable business sector of the New Jersey
economy shall be undertaken. The study shall evaluate State programs
and policies and how they affect sustainable businesses, identify
opportunities for the further development and growth of sustainable
businesses, and make recommendations regarding how to target and
assist sustainable businesses for the purpose of broadening this
sector of the economy. Subject to available appropriations, the
Office may engage an appropriate institute of higher education
to conduct the study under the Office's direction.
11. Subject
to an appropriation being made by the Legislature for this purpose,
the New Jersey Economic Development Authority shall provide low-
or no-interest loans to sustainable businesses. The Office of
Sustainability will receive and evaluate loan applications; the
Office will make loan recommendations to the Economic Development
Authority based on the ability of the applicant's business to
promote the goals of sustainability. Upon receipt of the recommendation,
the Economic Development Authority will evaluate the financial
health and viability of the sustainable business requesting funding,
determine whether to approve the loan, and if approved, provide
loan closing services.
12. The
Department of Commerce and Economic Development and the New Jersey
Economic Development Authority shall consult and promulgate rules
and regulations necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Order.
13. This
Order shall take effect immediately.
GIVEN,
under my hand and seal
this 22nd day of April in the Year
of Our Lord, One Thousand Nine
Hundred and Ninety-Seven and of the
Independence of the United States,
the Two Hundred and Twenty-First.
/s/
Christine Todd Whitman
Governor
[seal]