News from Bethesda Green

Once the snow is finally clear, I expect the economy will again be a primary topic of conversation. Though the outlook often seems bleak, we think "green" will be one of the key drivers that carry us forward. This could take place on several levels.

First, existing businesses have the opportunity to remake themselves. In the September 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review, the authors of "Why Sustainability Is Now the Key Driver of Innovation" state that "sustainability is a mother lode of organizational and technological innovations that yield both bottom-line and top-line returns. Becoming environmental-friendly lowers costs because companies reduce the inputs they use . . . early movers will develop competencies that rivals will be hard-pressed to match."

Second, investments and capital flow toward green products and services. There are many opportunities to support innovation at transformative technologies, clean tech or business processes in the energy and environmental sectors as companies and countries all over the globe move towards a low-carbon future.

Third, employment in green industries. This is an evolving economic trend that supports the growth of local jobs in renewable energy (solar, wind, geothermal and wave), green building (retrofitting), mass transit, product development (energy efficient autos, reduced packaging) and green non-profit and government jobs. Many of these jobs are in the same areas of employment that people already work in but they focus on sustainability. For example, constructing wind farms creates jobs for sheet metal workers, machinists and truck drivers and increasing building energy efficiency through retrofitting relies on roofers, insulators and building inspectors.

At Bethesda Green, we recognize the need to support the green economy. Some of our recent activities include:

Hosting the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Entrepreneurship Education at a meeting with BG incubator companies.
Conducting a survey of local businesses in partnership with Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chamber of Commerce.
Creating the March 27 Fields of Green Internship Fair, an opportunity for young adults ages 17-24 to explore green careers.
Convening a lunch discussion (new re-scheduled date TBD) on "Greening Your Small Business" and an evening panel discussion Feb. 18 on "Sustainable Investments and the Green Economy."
Publishing on our website a feature article, "Is Economics a Green Issue?"

Let's look forward optimistically toward a greener and more prosperous year ahead.