When the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts became law in the 1970s, businesses responded to new environmental standards by revamping their processes and inventing new, cleaner products. They made a lot of money doing it.
The same thing is happening today. American automakers are thriving as hybrids and plug-ins take the market by storm. Investments in clean energy and energy efficiency are creating jobs and pouring money back into local economies. Environmentally responsible companies are finding that adopting a “second bottom line” – that is, measuring their environmental performance as carefully as their financial performance – doesn’t hold them back. It propels them forward.
Going green is great business, it turns out. That wasn’t part of the message back in 1970, but maybe it should have been.
Yes, Earth Day may remind us that the moment is dire, and the hour is late. But that knowledge cannot justify complacency, and it shouldn’t feed our cynicism. It can and must inspire us toward bold action, just as it did 44 years ago.
Business owners: Take on a second bottom line because it will strengthen the future of your company. Lawmakers: Ramp up efficiency programs because it will win you votes and grow our economy. Energy users: Look for ways to save, but also let your utilities and your leaders know that you want to, because it’s good for your pocketbook and good for the planet. And if that doesn’t move you: Embrace energy efficiency, because your neighbors are doing it, too.
Alex Laskey is president and founder of Opower, which provides cloud-based software for the utility industry. He was featured in Fortune's “40 under 40,” has been a Technology Pioneer at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and serves as a commissioner on the Alliance National Commission on Energy Efficiency Policy. Mr. Laskey also serves on the board of the Conservation Lands Foundation.
