Building a Greener Economy

From the Desk of the Editor in Chief

This month, our annual progress report on green building is brimming with tangible evidence that sustainable development today has become synonymous with economic development. Meaning you can’t have one without the other.

Whether a project is an upgrade of an existing facility, an expansion, or a completely new development, the tenets of green building are being applied. This dynamic can be seen at work in the installation of a huge array of solar panels at the historic Pearl Brewery in San Antonio (pictured on our cover) and in PNC Bank’s successful expansion of its “Green Branch” franchise.

It is epitomized by the breathtaking dream of the developers of Destiny, FL, which breaks ground in 2011. These visionaries intend to build a brand-new “eco-sustainable” city of 200,000 that grows its own biofuels and provides high-paying “green jobs” for its residents.

Our cover feature also reveals that a consensus is emerging among experts who believe that sustainable development is the only sure-fire path to economic recovery in these trying fiscal times.

Companies that embrace environmental stewardship are being rewarded in the battered financial markets; green jobs, energy efficiency, and sustainable development are the common threads in ongoing stimulus efforts.

The message is simple: a greener economy yields sustainable growth. Let’s all make sure this recovery is built to last.

Jack Rogers
jrogers@groupc.com