Our Approach
Pollution prevention.
Community health and well-being.
Industry collaboration.
We bring community and industry together with a place-based approach which recognizes that each community has unique needs, pasts, and future goals. Each CAB applies this knowledge to advise industry on the best practices for their community. Overall, CABs are a way to involve community members directly in shaping decisions that impact their lives, ensuring that their voices are heard and considered.
The Role of the CABs
PROVIDING LOCAL INSIGHTS
Members offer valuable local knowledge and perspectives that might not be evident to outside planners or decision-makers as it relates to how manufacturers are impacting the local community.
FACILITATING COMMUNICATION
CABs help bridge the gap between manufacturers and the community, improving transparency and trust. This group will review our Engagement Assessment and offer suggestions for better collaboration between manufacturers and communities.
IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES
CABs will highlight potential opportunities within the community that may need to be addressed or elevated.
RECOMMENDING STRATEGIES
CABs advise on strategies and actions that are likely to be more effective or acceptable to the community. Additionally, they review and provide feedback on Engagement Assessments, which determine and measure how well a company is engaging both its workforce and surrounding community.
The Role of Industry
Industry will participate in the E4 program — energy, environment, economy, and engagement — which focuses on onsite technical assistance to prevent pollution through key strategies including more efficient or better equipment, reuse of material, and/or replacement of harmful chemicals with green chemicals. The E4 program helps businesses reduce the use and release of hazardous substances that can adversely impact human health and the environment, while at the same time helping businesses become more sustainable and profitable by reducing their resource use, expenditures, waste, and liability costs. An engagement assessment will also help industry improve equitable outcomes within the organization and surrounding communities.
Industry will also participate in offsite workshop training through sector-based roundtable meetings, follow-up and coordinating calls, and community gatherings. Industry can refer to the Engagement Toolkit for guidelines to effective community engagement.