OUR MISSION:
To promote environmentally sound business and community practices through collaboration and education
The Silicon Valley Environmental Partnership (SVEP) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization launched in 1993 by Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network. We promote environmentally sound business and community practices through our Environmental Index Reports, which track indicators that reflect the ecological health of the Silicon Valley. These reports are a foundation for taking action on unsustainable resource use and provide benchmarks for assessing improvement.
Some of SVEP's achievements include:
- Produced two reports, one in 1999 and one in 2003, with a third report available in Fall 2009.
- Developed the first environmental indicators report in California dedicated to surveying regional environmental well-being.
- Inspired other important local and international initiatives, including Sustainable Silicon Valley and a sustainability report published by the Bavarian Ministry of Environment and Regional Affairs.
- Provided information used in developing international standards, most notably the Technical Report 14031 on Environmental Performance Evaluation (EPE), in support of the ISO 14000 Series of International Environmental Management Standards.
- Brought sound science to the public and decision-makers, providing tools for taking action to protect the health and sustainability of our environmental resources.
- Developed a list of actions we can take to improve the environment in our region SVEP WHAT YOU CAN DO and a guide for communities that want to develop their own indicators: How to Calculate Environmental Indicators
Our vision for Silicon Valley is a sustainable community with a vibrant economy and a healthy environment. To meet this goal, we must have solid information on our environmental effects that can be used to direct Silicon Valley's creative power toward sustainable development.