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Sustainability – The Case Gets Stronger
December 09, 2009

Last week, I made the case that New Jersey should “own green” – that it should become an incubator for green ideas, green technology, and green jobs. Central to my argument was the notion that sustainability is not only good for the environment; it is good for the bottom line as well.

This week, in a very compelling piece in the New York Times, UCLA Professor Jared Diamond, essentially made the same argument.

In his op-ed, “Will Big Business Save the Earth” New York Times Op-Ed, Professor Diamond uses the example of three major companies – Wal-Mart, Pepsi, and Chevron – to demonstrate that sustainability can and is being promoted by some of the world’s largest companies. And he is very clear in outlining the financial reasons for their decisions to enhance fuel efficiency in their truck fleets (Wal-Mart), to conserve water (Pepsi), and to rigorously promote environmental protection (Chevron).

Professor Diamond’s piece, which is a must read, underscores a point that I think is absolutely essential to moving our economy and our nation forward: The choice between making money and making a difference is, in the end, a false choice.

In other words, it isn’t just possible for companies to “do good” while they are “doing well”, in fact it may be essential to drive real and lasting change.

Posted by Michael Kempner at December 9, 2009 09:51 AM