Business, Government Must Collaborate on Common Sustainability Goals

Environmental Leader (Castellani, President, Business Roundtable) - We recently released a report outlining the “unfinished business” policymakers must address in order to set our nation on a more sustainable, energy secure path. To be sure, Congress has already made some significant steps forward by passing important policies tucked into past energy bills and the stimulus package.

But more remains. Specifically, we believe there are five areas critically in need of legislative attention if we are to realize substantial emissions reductions and increased energy security at a manageable cost to our economy. There is broad consensus among our members that Congress must act to:

• Increase energy efficiency in buildings and the industrial sector, one of the cheapest and most immediate ways to improve security, reduce costs and curtail emissions.
• Invest in clean coal technology, maintaining the sustainable, long-term viability of the energy source that generates about 50 percent of our electricity. 
• Build new nuclear plants to meet rising demand, ensuring the availability of a critical low-carbon bridge to managing the impending turnover in baseload capacity. 
• Expand and modernize the electric grid, helping to develop our renewable energy potential, improve electric reliability and drive efficiency. 
• Provide more access to oil and natural gas exploration and production, enhancing domestic energy security as alternative technologies evolve and mature.
  

These are the tools we are asking for from our partners in government to help us move America towards greater sustainability and energy reliability. We’re going to need to find ways to make substantial GHG cuts and we’re going to have to do it in an economically responsible way; with the government’s help we know we can do it.