This coming March 2, 3 and 4, Connected Organizations for a Responsible Economy (CORE) will be sponsoring its annual Sustainability Summit. This year the event moves the sustainability discussion well beyond the business case for sustainability into highlighting sustainability initiatives in both the private and public sectors.

Much progress has been made over the past few years as private sector companies move towards a low “resource footprint,” leverage sustainability to drive innovation and create “green jobs.” Global companies now recognize that the business paradigm has shifted from a viewpoint where resources are abundant to one where resources are increasingly scarce and represent a material risk (and opportunity) to business operations. Moreover, there is a new found transparency with companies. Everyone is a stakeholder and can publicly comment on a company’s environmental and social performance.

What this means is that companies are taking a hard look at their operations – both within their fence line and within their supply chain for ways to reduce energy use, carbon emissions, water use and material use. This makes perfect business sense as a classic risk management strategy. In a world where resources are increasingly scarce and supply chain disruptions can shut down an operation (for example, imagine the sudden lack of water for a beverage company), proactively reducing your reliance on these resources becomes critical.

This is not only a risk management issue. This is a business opportunity. Companies that can be innovative and bring products and services to market that use fewer resources and can better mitigate resource risk for their customers will thrive.

Companies presenting at the Summit represent the future of business. I encourage everyone to attend the Summit this March and see how sustainability is transforming the global economy. To learn more about it, visit www.corecolorado.org/summit.

In my opinion, sustainability is fueling innovation through the creation of new businesses and new products. This innovation is also driving the “creative destruction” of some industries (some of the Detroit automakers?) and creating new ones (Tesla and Better Place?).

This is obvious.

What is not so obvious is that the job creation from these new and in some cases disruptive industries is creating brand value.

In my opinion, Serious Materials is now known, not only as an innovator, but a creator of “green jobs.”

Serious Materials is a great example of the “mash up” of innovation, green job creation and increased brand value. The Serious Materials brand is now linked to not only innovation with regards to building materials but now green jobs.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Fortune Brainstorm Green event a couple of weeks ago and listen to Kevin Surace, CEO of Serious Materials, discuss the opening of their new window manufacturing plant in the Chicago area. There was some discussion of their innovative products but the message was clear ¬Serious Materials is creating jobs in the midst of the “great recession.”

An example: on February 27, 2009 Serious Materials reopened a window plant in Chicago. The former Republic Window plant was sold to Serious Materials and the new owner rehired the 250 workers who were laid off.

A shuttered plant is brought back to life. Kevin’s story of the enthusiasm of the newly rehired workers was inspiring.

Not only was Kevin compelling in his message during the panel discussion but Serious Materials was extremely effective in broadcasting the linkage between innovation and green jobs.

The lapel pin and card below was distributed during the event. I made the leap, wore the pin and was on board with the message.

Serious Materials is not only viewed as an innovative start up, but one who will create new manufacturing jobs.
A couple of other examples of innovation and green job creation are provided below to illustrate my point.

In December 2008, the world’s largest manufacturer of wind turbines,
Vestas, opened a new plant in Windsor, Colorado. The facility will eventually
employ 600 workers. Colorado Governor Bill Ritter attended the plant’s
ceremonial opening and called it “a victory for our state.” He said Vestas will
help attract other renewable energy companies to Colorado. Ritter has set a
goal of attracting renewable energy research and manufacturing operations
to the state for what he calls the “New Energy Economy.”

In Colorado, Vestas is a welcomed new addition to our business base. We have seen
the loss of jobs in the mining and oil and gas sectors and are anxious to attract new
industries and “green jobs.”

This year during the dismal economic situation in in Detroit, Global Wind
Systems, Inc. will create 250 new employees starting in May 2009. This will
be Michigan’s first manufacturer of delivery-ready, large-scale wind turbines.
The alternative energy company, which now has about 20 employees, was
founded in September and is investing $32 million to establish the plant,
which will be an original equipment manufacturer or OEM for wind turbines.

In the current economic climate the winning brands are those that innovate fast, grow their business and create new jobs. The benefit that accrues to these firms, in the midst of the “great recession,” is brand value and loyalty.
Who will soon forget an innovative company that is creating new jobs?

Now, think creative destruction and job creation.