OCS Resource Management and Sustainable Development

Between June 1993 and June 1999, the President's Council on Sustainable Development advised President Clinton on sustainable development and developed bold, new approaches to achieve economic, environmental, and equity goals. We are committed to the achievement of a dignified, peaceful, and equitable existence.

President's Council on
Sustainable Development

Sustainable development is a new and evolving approach that promotes the use of human, natural, and financial resources to improve the economy, the environment, and society—in an integrated way for the benefit of current and future generations. The concept is a global policy theme, widely used since 1987 when the United Nation’s World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) defined sustainable development as "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

In June 1993, President Clinton formed a council composed of leaders from industry, government, nonprofit organizations, and Native American groups to recommend a national action strategy for sustainable development. The President's Council recommended that the Federal Government, in collaboration with the private sector and non-governmental organizations, develop national indicators of progress toward sustainable development and regularly report on these indicators to the public.

While the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation, and Enforcement itself has only recently become involved in explicit discussions of sustainable development, the agency has been working toward similar goals for years.  We believe that the production and consumption of energy is one of the fundamental components of economic development and societal well being.  However, development and use of fossil fuels depletes non-renewable natural resources, and is not without cost to society, both environmental (e.g., in terms of air and water quality) and social (e.g., in terms of socioeconomic impacts of development on local communities. Therefore, initiatives in the energy sector are an important consideration in any discussion of sustainable development.

An internal team in BOEMRE has prepared a report on the concept of sustainable development and OCS hydrocarbon resource management.