The National Environmental Policy Institute is a non-profit, bi-partisan organization of environmental leaders that fosters the development of new ideas for developing environmental policies that contribute to genuine environmental progress. The concept which guides NEPI, is to more directly correlate quality of life issues with environmental policies. By incorporation of sound science, consideration of risks, costs and benefits of proposed regulations or statutes, and increased involvement of local stakeholders as priorities are established, NEPI believes that our national policies will more effectively achieve desired environmental goals.

At the heart of NEPI's mission is its commitment to providing a substantive framework for improving environmental policy and management. NEPI is dedicated to establishing realistic environmental priorities and helping to focus the national environmental debate. Through its communications and outreach programs, NEPI has been successful in providing a forum for exchange and understanding among those involved in the environmental policy process as well as facilitating stakeholder dialogue and public education on the major environmental issues of our time.

The eCommute program, funded through a federal grant and administered by NEPI, will create market economic incentives, such as emissions credits and credit trading, to encourage employers to promote telework at their companies. NEPI has developed the emissions credit and exchange system to test the effectiveness of incentives that would be offered to employers. Another goal of the eCommute program is to help identify regulatory and statutory issues that need to be addressed to promote air emissions trading incentives. Implementation of the pilots, with oversight by NEPI, will help build partnerships within the community to address the important air quality and quality of life issues associated with telework.