The fifth and final panel of today’s State of Green
Business Forum featured an all-star panel of speakers in conversation with Joel
Makower about what the new administration means for the future of the green
economy. Three of the minds behind the
successful Cleantech and Green Business for Obama project discuss the campaign,
policy, and the administration and its trajectory.
The panel included Jeff Anderson, National Co-chair and
Campaign Manger of Cleantech and
Green Business for Obama (CT4-O), Holly Kaufman, CEO of Environment & Enterprise
Strategies, and Sanjay Wagle, Principal of VantagePoint
Venture Partners. All three were
involved with CT4-O, whose goal was to get Obama in office and to demonstrate
that the clean tech community can play a role in politics. They raised $1.6M
for the campaign with operations across twenty-plus states.
Kaufman explained that we are already seeing Obama follow
through with campaign commitments, and he is showing a consistent and
unprecedented commitment to the environment.
“He is bridging environmental and economic issues – he gets the
connection. Obama recognizes we all have to give something up…and that he can’t
please everyone.” Anderson noted that
the difference between Clinton and Obama is that the current administration is “ends
driven and technology agnostic.”
“We want a transparent, consistent long-term policy
framework so we know where things are headed,” Wagle explained. For example, Kaufman noted that she expects
cap and trade regulations to be pushed out shortly, “because this is something
the administration really cares about” and they want to give a clear,
consistent, long-term signal.
Makower was quick to point to the elephant in the room:
the economy. Will that undermine all
that Obama said he’d do? Is anything deferred
or accelerated due to the economy?
Panelists did not expect the economy to deter environmental action. Anderson noted, “If anything we are seeing an acceleration
of what was promised; we have a huge portion of the stimulus bill…the energy
bill we be done by April probably, the climate change bill should go through by
May.” Kaufman pointed out the high caliber scientists
who will now have Obama’s ear – “Science will not be stifled” in the new
administration.
And what should we be worried about? What could go wrong? Kaufman cited Pelosi, who instructed
democrats gathered at a post-election celebration to “get used to success.” More importantly, Kaufman said “I think we
all have to get used to working in a different environment…Pick your battles –
don’t knit pick. Help make it all succeed. We won’t get everything we want.” Wagle explained that interests among us will
inevitably be disappointed (for example, only $6M of the stimulus is dedicated
to transport while $30M is going towards highways). But at the end of the day, Anderson said, what
keeps him up at night is not fear of the administration dropping the ball, but fear
that we will drop the ball – “we need to organize across industry divides. We need to stand on each other’s shoulders to
get through this.”