Voluntary corporate sustainability initiatives are essential, but they alone are insufficient. Policy changes can help establish a new economy that values equity as much as profit, protects public and worker health, recognizes the value of natural resources for future generations, and creates healthy communities. Here are three key pro-business initiatives that the American Sustainable Business Council and others are working on.
1. Approve the Clean Energy Victory Bond Program
America must increase the flow of investment in energy security and job creation while addressing the climate crisis. Clean Energy Victory Bonds will help by boosting funding for the domestic clean energy sector.
A special form of U.S. Treasury Savings Bonds, Clean Energy Victory Bonds would be offered in denominations as low as $25, allowing millions of Americans to invest in a clean-energy economy through a safe government-backed investment. The CEVB is an investment opportunity, not a tax, to build our clean-energy economy.
What’s at stake?
As defined in recently introduced House legislation (H.R. 6275) (PDF), bond sales could reach $50 billion in private investment, which would then be leveraged to provide up to $150 billion in public and private financing. This would create an estimated 1.7 million innovative energy jobs.
What’s exciting about CEVB is that it would create a dedicated stream of funding to invest in federal clean energy and infrastructure projects, like the smart grid, plug-in electric vehicles and charging stations, high-performance buildings and wind and solar farms. Rather than having to rely exclusively on Congress to appropriate funds, the CEVB will provide public funding.
What can you do?
- Many businesses and other institutions have publicly endorsed the bond. You and your company or your trade association can do the same here. Thousands of Americans have already pledged to buy the bond once it is created.
- Urge your representative to co-sponsor H.R. 6275.
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