Energy Saving News
Think tank highlights economic benefits of green proposals
Center for American Progress chief executive John Podesta has spoken to US television network CNBC about the economic benefits of enacting a recent proposal put forward by the think tank.
Green business opportunities with the potential to create and support 625,000 permanent jobs by 2020 can be created if the proposals to retrofit 50 million buildings in the US are ratified, he told the network.
The energy efficiency move, which would affect around 40 per cent of the nation's building stock, could be supported by a "green bank", whose existence is already being considered by the US senate.
In an interview with CNBC, Mr Podesta said: "There's probably a $500 billion (£304 billion) investment that's needed, but the vast majority has to come from the private sector."
He went on to state that "the government has a role to play in orienting policy toward getting the financing right", adding that the policy should be created to "kick start the jobs and the investment and to leverage private sector money".
The think tank proposed increasing green awareness among consumers by not only availing capital for conservation measures, but also making it possible for consumers to monitor their power consumption.
Friday 21st August 2009
