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SEIZING THE CLEAN ECONOMY OPPORTUNITY
The long awaited Brookings’ Sizing the Clean Economy Study released on Wednesday, July 13 provides the latest data and insights that define the size, character and qualities of the emerging cleaning economy. It begins to fill the void of information about what the clean economy is and how many jobs are represented in this sector.
According to the Brookings study, the US clean economy employs about 2.7 million people, more than the fossil fuel industry and twice the size of the biosciences sector. It’s half the size of the important information technology sector in our country. By every measure the sector is real and already a genuine force in our country.
The clean economy offers a range of jobs available to Americans with high school diplomas as well as graduate degrees. There is a higher propensity for these jobs to be within the manufacturing sector with a greater likelihood that the products manufactured will be exported globally. Maybe the most important observation cited in the report is that every metro region has its own clean economy opportunity based on its’ strengths, assets and priorities. This growth represents significant potential even though the clean economy represents a relatively small base of the US economy.
While the Brookings study defines the “what and how much” of the clean economy sector, Climate Prosperity’s publication Towards a New Prosperity provides the roadmap on how metro regions can best realize this economic opportunity. Metro regions are the most effective geographic location for growing the clean economy.
Formal strategy planning is adding value in regions by engaging a broad base of public private stakeholders and developing a regional consensus that better align limited resources. Both reports suggest that keys to success are linked to scaling up the market for clean products and services; accelerating the capacity and efficiency of innovation and R & D. It is also essential to stimulate investors and capital markets to increase the availability of capital.
Check out what the research says about your region’s clean economy opportunity. Also assess how your community is organized to take advantage of this opportunity. Let us know what you think at climateprosperity@stlrcga.org.
In case you missed it, one of our colleagues Tracey Grose, Vice President of Collaborative Economics and a national leader on economic and environmental metrics was featured by the Wall Street Journal this summer. This video is a part of the Wall Street Journal’s annual “America: A Portfolio of Ideas” series. Ten people were nominated by the staff of the WSJ, and Tracey was one of six selected for this year’s series. Below is the lead in to the promo and a link to the site. Congratulations Tracey and thank you for all of your support to the Climate Prosperity Network.
As part of the 2011 Wall Street Journal video series America: A Portfolio of Ideas, Tracey Grose, Vice President of Collaborative Economics, explains how we can achieve both, economic growth and environmental improvement. The United States benefits from a rich mix of natural and economic assets which could position it as a global leader in clean energy technologies. By spurring the adoption of these technologies, direct employment will grow in the related industries, and the country will boost its competitive edge by achieving greater energy and resource productivity across the entire economy. http://portfolioofideas.com/.
Finally, the Clean Economy Wire is a news service that disseminates daily news and information on economic and business development activity in the clean economy sector. It is a subscription which is free to the public that conveniently delivers to you daily the latest articles and reports documenting the deals, investments, market information and jobs emerging from the clean economy. Please subscribe to get your daily electronic update.
Andre Pettigrew
Executive Director
Climate Prosperity Project
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