Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) are voluntary programs in which government and the private sector agree to work together to solve important public policy problems in the absence of regulatory authority. ICF has worked with numerous public and private organizations to implement PPPs that address issues related to climate change and stratospheric ozone depletion. ICF has supported a variety of public voluntary program development initiatives beginning with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Green Lights program and ENERGY STAR® programs and spanning industrial sectors from aluminum smelting, semiconductor manufacture and magnesium production to methane emission reduction programs in agricultural and landfill operations.
ICF has extensive understanding of the technical, economic, and policy issues that are involved in the development and support of voluntary programs, as well as the ability to bring in the communications and outreach requirements that are critical for program success. ICF knows what it takes to develop, launch, and support a successful voluntary program, including:
- Establishing a program that provides value to prospective partners
- Setting appropriate goals and measuring performance
- Recruiting partners
- Providing technical guidance and logistical support for meetings and workshops
- Developing outreach materials and communications strategies
- Developing and conducting training
- Developing and maintaining computer-based decision support tools and information management systems
Selected Projects
Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Emissions Reduction Partnership for the Magnesium Industry. ICF International is providing analytical and technical support to the U.S. EPA's voluntary SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for the Magnesium Industry. ICF has prepared several documents that communicate partnership accomplishments and technical information, such as Global Magnesium Industry Charts Its Own Course for Climate Protection (60th Annual IMA Conference, 2003), and Measured SF6 Emissions From Magnesium Die Casting Operations (Magnesium Technology, 2003). Currently the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidance assumes that all SF6 consumed is emitted; however, expert opinion suggests that SF6 destruction, via chemical reaction, may occur. Consequently, ICF is managing a study, for the partnership, to quantify the level of cover gas (e.g., SF6, HFC-134a) destruction from magnesium primary production and die-casting operations. These data will be used to develop more accurate national inventories and partner emissions tracking. Specific tasks include reviewing and selecting measurement methods, developing sampling and measurement protocols, managing and implementing the measurement campaign, and analyzing measurement data to evaluate emissions and uncertainty. ICF's work will be used to affect the way SF6 emissions are measured and tracked, to better assess the impacts of this program.
U.S. EPA's Voluntary Aluminum Industrial Partnership (VAIP). ICF International has provided support to the U.S. EPA's VAIP with the aluminum industry since inception of the program in 1995. ICF has provided support on virtually all aspects of the VAIP program, including program design and implementation, tracking, technical activities related to emissions measurements, assessment of emissions control options, and outreach activities. ICF assisted in designing and implementing the VAIP program by developing information for use by program partners, developing program evaluation systems, providing technical guidance, and developing materials to address specific needs of program participants.
SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems, U.S. EPA. ICF provides analytical, technical, and outreach support to the U.S. EPA's voluntary SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems. Currently ICF assists with program operations by reviewing and validating the partners' submissions of SF6 emission estimates. ICF also works with partners to resolve reporting errors by helping them better understand the submission methodology. In addition, ICF has developed and maintained a system for tracking partner accomplishments. On the program recruiting and marketing side, ICF is assisting EPA in the recruitment of partners by identifying targeted lists of utilities, and developing recruitment strategies and materials. To communicate partnership accomplishments and technical information on SF6, ICF prepared several key documents, including SF6 Emissions Reductions Partnership for Electric Power Systems – —2002 Program Report, Byproducts of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6) Use in the Electric Power Industry, and Catalog of Guidelines and Standards for the Handling and Management of Sulfur Hexafluoride (SF6). ICF has helped the EPA recruit more than 20 partners into the SF6 Emissions Reduction Partnership for Electric Power Systems and has helped effect successful participation by these partners.
U.S. EPA's Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD) Program. ICF International is currently assisting EPA with the launch and implementation of a new voluntary program for municipalities, retailers, manufacturers and utilities, to promote the responsible disposal of refrigerated appliances, including refrigerators/freezers, window air-conditioning units, and dehumidifiers. The program seeks to ensure the proper disposal and/or recycling of ozone-depleting refrigerant and foam, GHG refrigerant, and hazardous materials, including
polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCB), mercury, and used oil. To this end, ICF researched the current state of appliance disposal and recycling in the United States, as well as the costs to implement responsible programs that not only comply with federal laws, but go beyond requirements. ICF also is preparing outreach materials to educate stakeholders about the benefits of proper appliance disposal/recycling and to recruit new partners.
U.S. EPA Climate Wise Program Technical Support. ICF International supported the U.S. EPA's Climate Wise Program from its inception in 1994 to 2000 when it was folded into the ENERGY STAR Program. Our support ranged from managing the Climate Wise Clearinghouse and Wise Line technical support service to providing detailed support to partners on identifying energy efficiency opportunities, quantifying their impacts, and assessing the emissions reductions implications of these actions. ICF developed sector-specific profiles of the energy, iron and steel, chemical, petroleum, pharmaceuticals, and pulp and paper industries, evaluating the potential energy efficiency measures these sectors could pursue. This research, coupled with our support of individual Climate Wise partners, enabled ICF to effectively identify major emission sources and help partners quantify and report their energy efficiency efforts. We developed the Climate Wise Cement Industry Software, which simplified the industry's tracking and reporting of its energy- and process-related emissions.
Technical Support to U.S. EPA Natural Gas STAR Methane Outreach Programs. Beginning with the start of the U.S. EPA's Natural Gas STAR program in the mid-1990s, ICF International has worked with hundreds of industry partners to identify, estimate, and implement the methane emissions and reduction technologies from the oil and gas industry in North America. ICF International contributes to improving emissions factors for specific technologies, preparing lessons learned and best practices for reducing emissions, and conducting field assessments of reduction technologies for EPA.
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