The Sustainable Economic Development Network (SED Network) exists to advance the fields of Sustainability and Economic Development and to encourage the emergence of the new field of Sustainable Economic Development.
SED Network assists places (cities, counties, regions, and states) that have undertaken Sustainable Economic Development Strategies to share ideas and best practices.
SED Network encourages new places to launch Sustainable Economic Development Strategies and connects these places with the full range of resources available to assist them.
SED Network helps build the conceptual frameworks and the bodies of practice guiding Sustainable Economic Development.
Convergence of Sustainability and Economic Development
Sustainable Economic Development has emerged as a strategic perspective that combines two seemingly disparate ideas (Sustainability and Economic Development) into a powerful new concept that is based on the recognition that the environmental crisis offers the greatest economic opportunity of the 21st Century. The power of this concept is leading to a convergence of fields of Sustainability and Economic Development.
- Increasingly, Sustainability professionals are coming to understand clearly that it is essential to address the economic, business, job, and place making impacts of Sustainability initiatives.
- At the same time, Economic Development professionals are recognizing the importance of Clean Tech businesses, energy and resource efficiency for all businesses, Eco-Smart real estate development, and green jobs.
- Likewise, elected officials and city, county, and state administrations are discovering the wisdom of putting Sustainability at the heart of Economic Development to avoid the false dichotomy of jobs vs. the environment
Many city, county, region, and state leaders are coming to understand that places can get richer by becoming greener. SED Network and Sustainable Systems are organized to be of assistance in this process.