5th Annual Sustainable Business Legislative Briefing
THANK YOU to the more than 200 business and non-profit representatives and state legislators that attended CASBA's 5th Annual Sustainable Business Legislative Briefing!
Full videos from the event are now available! Please click on the clip below or visit the
Alliance for Sustainable Colorado's YouTube page.
The following handouts were also distributed at the Legislative Briefing and a full description of the event's highlights can be found below.
Event Handouts:
CASBA Directory (PDF)
Sustainable Economy Resources and Reports
Policies Impacting Colorado's Sustainable Business Community
CASBA's Sustainable Business Principles
For more information about CASBA or the 5th Annual Legislative Briefing, please contact Janna Six at 303-572-1536.
ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE COLORADO CONVENES
5TH ANNUAL SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS LEGISLATIVE BRIEFING
Governor, Assembly Leaders Lay Out Their Vision and Agenda for Colorado’s Sustainable Economy in 2009
DENVER, January 27, 2009–A record number of attendees packed the Old Supreme Court Chambers today for the 5th Annual Sustainable Business Legislative Briefing at the State Capitol.
Organized by Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s CASBA program (Colorado Alliance of Sustainable Business Associations), the briefing and policy discussion drew more than 200 business and non-profit representatives and state legislators. The speakers and topics focused on strategies for continuing the growth of Colorado’s New Energy Economy.
“Colorado and the rest of the country are facing unprecedented economic challenges, but our state is well-positioned to lead the country in the development of a New Energy Economy, said Governor Bill Ritter. “I look forward to seeing the state legislature’s recommendations for long-term, clean energy solutions that address immediate economic challenges.” 
Presentations were made by three notable leaders concerned about Colorado’s economic development.
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André Pettigrew, Executive Director of Denver’s Office of Economic Development, spoke about local government initiatives to create green jobs as part of Denver’s involvement in the Climate Prosperity Project.
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Speaker of the House, Terrance Carroll, described the purpose of the state legislature’s Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth.
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Governor Ritter closed the briefing with his vision of how green jobs and sustainable business practices fit into the new energy economy.
Speaker Terrance Carroll explained, "We want to expand the circle of opportunity for everyone in our state. One way we can do that is by energizing our economy. We are making targeted investments in new technologies like expanding concentrated solar and high-altitude wind turbines to effectively tap into those 300 days of renewable rays and the gusts that consistently blow across our rolling plains. I want to make sure that the consumer has the opportunity to choose clean power over coal. By investing in renewable resources, we are working toward genuine energy independence. We have successfully begun to create a new energy economy: we have created thousands of new ‘green-collar’ jobs, and there are many more to come."
Representatives from sustainable business associations and individual companies asked questions and offered policy suggestions. Associations represented included the Boulder Green Building Guild, Colorado Association for Recycling, Colorado Renewable Energy Society, CORE (Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy), Colorado Solar Energy Industry Association, Greener Denver Business Program, Outdoor Industry Association, Catamount Institute - Pikes Peak Sustainable Business Network, and US Green Building Council – Colorado Chapter.
A sustainable business includes “triple bottom line” measures of its profitability as well as its impacts on the well-being of people and the environment.
“The triple bottom line approach has quickly emerged as a wise and prudent strategy shared by leading businesses,” commented André Pettigrew. “By reducing energy consumption, companies ultimately are generating green savings that make them more competitive and generate new opportunities for employment and innovation.”
“State government has an essential role to play to encourage business development that is profitable for companies and helpful for society while not damaging the environment,” said Janna Six, Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s CASBA coordinator. “For example, government investments can stimulate development of infrastructure for clean energy, mass transit, and small businesses.”
CASBA is the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado’s business program to expand sustainable and socially responsible business practices throughout Colorado by facilitating communication and collaboration among sustainable business associations.
