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Showing posts with label sustainable economy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sustainable economy. Show all posts

British PM Says Investment in the Green Economy is a Competitive Necessity

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On February 4, 2013, British Prime Minister David Cameron made a speech in which he spoke to the competitive necessity of his government's investments in the green economy. Speaking at the official launch of the Department of Energy and Climate Change's (DECC) new Energy Efficiency Mission, Cameron boldly addressed his critics by saying

"So to those who say we just can't afford to prioritize green energy right now, my view is we can't afford not to. Far from being a drag on growth, making our energy sources more sustainable, our energy consumption more efficient and our economy more resilient to energy price shocks – those things are a vital part of the growth and wealth that we need."

Cameron made a compelling case for cleantech investment in front of an audience of business leaders. Cameron explained that in the near future, only the world's greenest nations will be able to compete in the global economic race towards a low carbon economy. Cameron further argued that the UK must prioritize investment in green energy and energy efficiency if it wants to be internationally competitive.

"Make no mistake, we are in a global race and the countries that succeed in that race, the economies in Europe that will prosper, are those that are the greenest and the most energy efficient," Cameron said. "Energy consumption is set to grow by a third over the next two decades alone. And in a race for limited resources it is the energy efficient that will win that race."

While some believe that the fragile state of the economy precludes such investment, Cameron flatly rejected that argument by saying that the promotion of the government's wide range of energy efficiency policies is a matter of economic competitiveness. UK currently has an array of policies for driving energy efficiency investments. They include the Green Deal, the carbon floor price, Climate Change Agreements, Enhanced Capital Allowances and the Carbon Reduction Commitment.

However Climate minister Greg Barker, said there was the need for a more "coherent" approach to promoting these initiatives. To that end Cameron is calling for a closer working relationship between businesses and government.

"Already today Britain is one of the best places for green energy, green investment and crucially for green jobs anywhere in the world," Cameron said.

"But I want to go further... I want to bring these [policies] together and really explain to the world, and particularly investors, what is available here in Britain... Together we can make Britain a global showcase for green innovation and energy efficiency. Together we can do the right thing for our planet and, just as important, do the right thing for our economy too."

"It is the businesses that are best insulated from energy price shocks that will be the most successful, it is the consumers who are the least vulnerable to energy prices whose household bills will be the lowest and who can be the most confident about their future. And yes, it is the countries that prioritize green energy that will secure the biggest share of jobs and growth in a global low-carbon sector set to be worth $4trn by 2015."

"Businesses know that going green can boost growth. Our research shows that supporting the UK's low-carbon economy with the right policies could potentially add £20bn to GDP by 2015. said Rhian Kelly, director for business environment policy at the CBI. "Britain must maximize these opportunities to become the leading destination for low-carbon investment and strengthen our exports of green goods and services to the rest of the world."

This is the kind of leadership that should be a model for heads of state in democracies around the world.

© 2013, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Video: Move to Green Economy a Global Competition

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Bruce J. Katz is a vice president at the Brookings Institution and founding Director of the Brookings Metropolitan Policy Program which aims to provide decision makers in the public, corporate and civic sectors with policy ideas for improving the health and prosperity of cities and metropolitans areas. Katz regularly advises federal, state, regional and municipal leaders on policy reforms that advance the competitiveness of metropolitan areas.

Katz says the move to a greener economy is a global competition. The US must wisely and expeditiously develop both policies and practices that encourage more innovation and growth in this critical area. Growth through Innovation.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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The False Choice Between the Economy and the Environment

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In debates on the issue of climate change we are often asked to make a false choice between the environment and the economy. However, an intelligent discussion of climate change cannot be framed as a choice between the environment and the economy.

The rise of sustainable business is making it abundantly clear that we can have it both ways. Businesses are adopting new models that both contribute to the economy while minimizing their environmental footprints.

According to a May 2011 Yale Survey, 56% of Americans now believe that protecting the environment improves economic growth and provides new jobs.

Previous polemics argued that you can either have the economy or the environment. Contemporary wisdom reveals that you can have both.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Is Capitalism Sustainable?

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Business has created the environmental crisis and now the same capitalist system that was behind the industrial revolution, is beginning to play a vital role in solving the problems it created.

Despite the link between environmental practices and profitable, long-term business sustainability, many believe that capitalism itself is unsustainable. The Earth has finite resources, so their argument goes, but capitalism depends on ever expanding consumption. The truth is that dating back to the origins of our species, we have seen our use of resources evolve, from stone, to bronze and then iron. More recently we entered the information age which may prove to be the gateway to a more sustainable use of resources.

Although we should do everything we can to preserve finite resources, human ingenuity is infinite. In this way we are slowly moving away from finite fossil fuels to infinitely renewable fuels such as wind, wave and solar.

Market driven solutions can be incredibly powerful as they have the power to extend, promote and invest in sustainable innovation. Although new market based mechanisms like regulation, incentives and tradable permits are still a few years off, it is inevitable that the true cost of carbon will be made absolutely clear. As a tenant of the free market business should pay for the costs they incur.

Sustainability will continue because it is an unstoppable mega-trend that is destined to keep growing at even faster rates. With the rise of the green consumer, businesses want to cash-in on the steady and growing demand for green goods and services. Various partnerships are emerging to help in the development of sustainable best practices. One such arrangement involves the new partnerships between corporations and environmental organizations.

There are also other factors that make sustainability entirely consistent with capitalism. Renewable energy solutions are seen as a potent symbol of a new modernity. Numerous studies have shown that environment issues have a significant effect on workforce morale. A workforce seeing a forward-looking and responsible company is more likely to feel good about working for such a company and a happier workforce is a more productive workforce.

Increases to employee productivity and benefits to the brand are just two ways in which integrating sustainable practices serve a company's best interest. Avoiding public pressure and attracting customer loyalty are additional factors that add to the capitalist appeal of sustainability.

Factoring environmental considerations into economic equations makes sense and the profit motive is a powerful incentive. The marketplace is always looking for cleaner, cheaper, faster, more efficient and more effective solutions, and the market is better at identifying opportunities than most government planning. Although short sighted greed makes long term planning difficult, with the right long-term incentives it can be made to work.

The green market is now estimated to be worth $5.27 trillion (£3.2 trillion) worldwide and in the next couple of decades the clean energy market alone is expected to be worth more than$13 trillion. With that much at stake, businesses cannot afford to ignore the green market.

In the business environment of tomorrow, sustainable practices are a strategic priority. The Survey of America's Greenest Brands show that even companies with very poor environmental reputations can redeem themselves and go from environmental pariah to eco-superstar by incorporating sustainable practices.

If we are to make the changes within the time frames we have left we will have to make use of the mechanisms that are available to us today. We do not have time to reinvent our world. As Paul Hawkin once said, "business is the only mechanism on the planet today powerful enough to produce the chances necessary to reverse global environmental and social degradation."

With the appropriate incentives and disincentives we can integrate environmental and social issues into the economic equation. An economy based on fossil fuels can be replaced by a low carbon economy. Capitalism is our last best hope to manage the environmental crisis we are facing.

© 2011, Richard Matthews. All rights reserved.

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CEIL: Standard Compliance Knowledge Center for Green Government

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Compliance with presidentially mandated green government can be a daunting challenge, thankfully there is a resource bank and online community that can help.

The Center for Environmental Innovation and Leadership (CEIL), has launched a new online community. CEIL is an independent organization connecting government and military professionals with providers of green goods and services to help them comply with Executive Order 13514 – President Obama's commitment to creating a "Green Government."

Executive Order 13514 on Federal Sustainability was signed on October 5, 2009, it required each Federal Agency to submit a 2020 greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reduction target from its estimated 2008 baseline. President Obama has pledged to reduce the Federal government's GHG emissions by 28 percent over the next decade.

According to a press release from Whitehouse.gov, "Actions taken under this Executive Order will spur clean energy investments that create new private-sector jobs, drive long-term savings, build local market capacity, and foster innovation and entrepreneurship in clean energy industries."

To assist with the implementation of EO13514, CEILeadership.org has created a knowledge center for sustainability in the public sector, it includes news, expert advice, discussion groups, and podcasts. For more information or to join go to CEIL.

CEIL is also producing GovGreen Conference & Expo in Washington, DC on November 9-10, 2010. See GovGreen for more information and registration details.
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The G20 and the Green Economy

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The green economy can provide a very real return for people and economies and the G20 can play a pivotal role in sustainable development.

The Executive Director of UNEP, Achim Steiner, said that green spending offers "a very real return for people and economies, north and south...The G20 particularly has huge potential in energy, mobility, buildings, agriculture, forestry, [and] water."

Last year, ahead of the April, 2009 G20 summit, over 50 of the world's largest businesses joined forces to call for sustainable stimulus packages. An open letter to the British Prime Minister asked for a coordinated global recovery package with private sector incentives to stimulate the low carbon economy.

This year, it is becoming increasingly clear that we are in recovery and green projects have helped to stimulate the sagging world economy. Although $500 billion has been earmarked for green initiatives, UNEP has a $750 billion dollar goal. It is worth noting that developed nations are responsible for the majority of the 250 billion dollar shortfall. In contrast, China is responsible for almost 40 percent of funds earmarked green

Unlike many in the developed world, China is investing massively in cleantech and this has effectively positioned it as a world leader in renewable energy. This sector now employs 1.5 million people with 300,000 new workers added in 2009 alone. India has been successful in its efforts to improve water security.

China and India may have received considerable attention for their growing emissions, however they are also showing leadership. It is the developed world that is falling behind and must step up its efforts.

"The green economy is not a luxury, but a 21st century imperative on a planet of six billion, rising to 9 billion in just 40 years," Steiner and Pavan Sukhdev, head of UNEP's Green Economy initiative, wrote in a pre-G20 comment.

There is a shift to greener economic growth, and this includes a higher value on nature, but the developed world must assume greater responsibility. Steiner has indicated that the G20 summit is an opportunity for developed nations to contribute their share to the green economy.
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