Since the 1960s, the environment and sustainability movement continues to gain momentum. Today, it’s a mainstream topic and there are trillions of dollars of investment to adapt to and mitigate climate change.  The history below illustrates the depth that countries, businesses, organizations, and individuals have gone to research and develop methods, metrics, standards, strategies, and agreements to align the world with common sustainability definitions and goals. As builders of the sustainable future, this history is essential knowledge to understand how we arrived at where we are and can provide a starting point for where we are going. 

1960s:

• 1962 – Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book Silent Spring is published, raising public awareness about the environmental impacts of pesticide use, leading to increased concerns about pollution and its effects on nature and human health. Most people consider this to be the beginning of the modern Environmental Movement in the United States. 
• 1969 – The Cuyahoga River in Ohio catches fire and becomes a symbol to highlight the water pollution issues in the United States.

1970s:

• 1970 – The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is signed into law, requiring federal agencies to assess the environmental impact of their actions. While not a standard itself, NEPA laid the foundation for considering environmental impacts in decision-making.
• 1970 – The first Earth Day is celebrated on April 22, as a means to call attention to environmental protection and sustainable practices.
• 1970 – The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is established, charged with regulating and enforcing environmental laws.
• 1972 – The Clean Water Act  was passed amending the Federal Water Pollution Control Act with aims to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Further it established the framework for regulating water pollution, setting water quality standards and requiring permits for discharges into water bodies.
• 1973 – The Oil Crisis prompted concerns about energy security, which spurred the establishment of the Department of Energy (DOE) in 1977. DOE became a major stakeholder in research and development of energy technology, which would later become leaders in renewable energy research. 
• 1973 – The Endangered Species Act is passed, providing a framework for identifying and protecting endangered and threatened species and their habitats.

1980s:

• 1980 – The Superfund program is established and led by EPA to clean up oil spills, hazardous waste, and other contaminants.
• 1987 – Our Common Future also known as the The Brundtland Report was published by the World Commission on Environment and Development. The publication introduced the concept of sustainable development and describes how to integrate environmental, social, and economic considerations.
• 1987 – The Montreal Protocol was adopted on September 16th. The treaty committed nations to phase out ozone-depleting substances, but more importantly highlighted the importance of international cooperation for environmental protection.
• 1988 – The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is established, producing authoritative assessments of climate change science and impacts. These reports are key for developing domestic policies and lead the way in rigorous scientific research on climate. The organization regularly publishes reports today. 

1990s:

• 1990 – The Clean Air Act was amended to further address air pollution and require reductions in harmful pollutant emissions.
• 1992 – The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Earth Summit) takes place in Rio de Janeiro, leading to the Convention on Biological Diversity treaty and the Framework Convention on Climate Change.
• 1992 – The EPA launches the ENERGY STAR program to promote energy efficiency. This program continues to expand throughout the 2000s, 2010s, and through today.
• 1997 – The Kyoto Protocol is adopted, setting binding emissions reduction targets for developed countries to combat climate change.

2000s:

• 2000 – The United States and other UN member states adopt the Millennium Development Goals, which committed world leaders to combat poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation, and discrimination against women.
• 2000 – The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) first guidelines are released, providing a widely used framework for sustainability reporting by organizations.
• 2005 – The International Organization for Standardization updates ISO 14001 to provide guidelines for implementing an environmental management system to improve environmental performance.

2010s:

• 2015 – The United Nations adopts the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to supersede the Millennium Development Goals, providing a comprehensive framework for global development and sustainability efforts.
• 2015 – The Paris Agreement is adopted under the UNFCCC, aiming to limit global warming and address climate change through nationally determined contributions. The US joined, but then pulled out in the Trump Administration. 
• 2019 – The Green New Deal is branded and proposed in the U.S., aiming to address climate change and economic inequality through a package of policies and investments. This deal never passed and faced opposition, but was used as a starting point to US climate planning and reinvestment in the early 2020s. 

2020s:

• 2021 – The Biden administration rejoins the Paris Agreement and places a renewed focus on climate and environmental policies.
• 2021 – The Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) releases recommendations for voluntary climate-related financial disclosures by companies and organizations.
• 2021 – Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is passed, the act aims to modernize U.S. infrastructure, including provisions for clean energy, sustainable transportation, and broadband expansion.
• 2022 – The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) releases additional standards including ISO 14080, a standard for integrating greenhouse gas and climate change adaptation and mitigation into organizational strategies and operations. This standard is part of the family of standards published by the ISO/Technical Committee (TC) 207. This committee focuses on environmental standards. As of today, they have a total 64 published standards
• 2023 – The Inflation Reduction Act is passed, addressing economic concerns while also considering sustainability and environmental factors in policy decisions.

The future of sustainability is in the hands of our generation. In the decades to come, we anticipate rapid development to reach net-zero goals. At Pike Origin, we are here to help you win in sustainable, net-zero development.