Sustainability Initiatives Around the World – Is America Lagging Behind?
June 24th, 2009Sustainability has become an increasingly discussed topic in the United States, particularly with the initiatives proposed by the Obama Administration. During his campaign for the White House, President Obama made it clear that sustainable initiatives would be one of his top priorities. His assertion that the development of his “green economy” would create 5 million jobs has been debated by analysts of varying persuasions (see my recent blog article for a more thorough discussion of this debate) but nonetheless speaks to his belief that America cannot continue indefinitely with the practices of the past.
At a March 12 meeting of Business Roundtable, an organization comprising CEOs from America’s leading companies which collectively see annual revenues of $5 trillion and employ some 10 million people, President Obama made his intentions clear. He addressed the group saying, “We all know that the country that harnesses the power of renewable energy will lead the 21st century. And yet, it’s China that’s launched the largest effort in history to make their economy energy efficient. We invented solar technology, but we’ve fallen behind countries like Germany and Japan in producing it. New plug-in hybrids will roll of our assembly lines, but they’re running on battery cells made in Korea. I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders – and I know you don’t either. It’s time for America to lead.”
