The Movement for a Sustainable Economy is confronting an economy that has accumulated economic capital at the expense of natural and social capital. (See Three Forms of Capital) It is a high pollution, high carbon, waste intensive, and ecologically disruptive economy that has led to serious economic instability, high persistent unemployment, and an extreme concentration of wealth.
At the same time, there is a new economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable economy that is emerging. It takes the forms of:
- Hundreds of large corporations, linked through CERES and the Global Reporting Initiative, establishing and implementing policies that produce increasingly higher levels of sustainability performance.
- Hundreds of clean technology companies creating the renewable energy and resource efficiency technologies needed to power a sustainable economy.
- Trillions of dollars of socially and environmentally screened investment portfolios, often managed by members of the Social Investment Forum.
- Thousands of small companies, affiliated with Green America and BALLE, pursuing local green economies.
- Business organizations like the American Sustainable Business Alliance and New Voice of Business representing thousands of businesses supporting policies that foster the sustainable economy.
- Hundreds of cities and counties adopting sustainability plans, climate action programs, or sustainable economic development strategies.
It is important to go beyond saying no to the old, ultimately unsustainable, economy that is in decline and to say yes to a Movement for a Sustainable Economy that is advancing.