As the Great Recession slowly recedes it’s clear that we’re not going back to the world of 2006. The world has changed, whether we like it or not. But where exactly are we going? In his State of the Union Address tonight, President Obama spoke about reinventing America to compete in this new world, about investing in innovation to move our country and our economy forward. Green entrepreneurs are bound to be a central part of this new innovation economy but not just because the government says so. The future of business is green because it makes fundamental sense on every level. The innovation economy is a green economy and entrepreneurs everywhere are already busy building it.
They are already hard at work developing clean fuels, clean energy, good food, and other innovations that are both good for business and good for the environment. Green business is not just a luxury, and not just for polar bears. Green business is good business, as the sustainability innovators like Gary Hirshberg at Stonyfield Farm, Janine Benyus at the Biomimicry Institute, and Ray Anderson at Interface have demonstrated over and over again. By cutting waste, polluting less, and using nature as a business model the green business leaders have show that making money and making a difference can go hand in hand.
Glenn Croston is the author of “75 Green Businesses” and “Starting Green”, and the founder of Starting Up Green, helping green businesses to tell their stories that change the world.
