EDGE gets educated! Metro EDGEr’s had the opportunity to learn more about Sacramento’s actions to grow our green economy at the Sacramento's Green Economy :: EDGEucational Forum Event. Two guest speakers, Julia Burrows and Warren Smith, were present to converse with EDGE members.
Julia Burrows is the managing partner of Valley Vision and Project Manager of Sacramento’s Greenwise Initiative. She educated the group about Greenwise and the steps being taking to make Sacramento the greenest region in the country. Over the next ten years Greenwise will work to attract new clean technology, develop a qualified workforce, engage the community and encourage every city to lead by example.
Warren Smith is the co-founder and senior vice president of business and development at Clean World Partners. He talked about his work at Clean World Partners. The company works with businesses and communities to convert organic waste to renewable energy, soil enhancement products and other valuable byproducts using proprietary technologies that are scalable, cost-efficient, and effective.
One of the major concerns Julia and Warren discussed was creating more green jobs for Sacramento. Julia noted that there are currently 14,000 green jobs and goal of Greenwise is to double that number to 28,000 in the next 10 years. There was mention of several up-and-coming green-tech companies in the region which we can be proud of and are companies to watch in the coming years. Some of those companies are SMA Solar Technology, Siemens Light Rail, and Micromidias.
Warren noted that the support of the private sector has assisted with the green efforts in the area, but that retaining talent in the Sacramento region after college remains an issue. Many of the graduates leave the area and do not stay in Sacramento, which continues to be a concern for businesses. Sacramento must take action to keep green talent in the area so current businesses do not relocate outside of the region.
EDGE gets a voice! The floor was opened to allow the group to provide insights to the guest speakers about how to make Sacramento the country’s emerald valley. Suggestions were made to improve public transportation, streamlining the process for larger green energy projects to come to fruition and more education and information for the public to learn about available programs and how they can get involved.
EDGE can take action! The group asked how metroEDGE fits into the Sacramento green economy. Warren encouraged the group to pursue their passions and be active in the community. Julia suggested getting involved in the green movement by volunteering time towards green programs and contribute to their company’s green efforts. A potential outlet for involvement is the Greenwise Business Leadership Council where various businesses throughout the region can collaborate and take action to reinforce the goals of Greenwise.
For more information you can check out these available links:
Valley Vision/Green Capital Alliance website
Greenwise Sacramento Regional Action Plan
Green Capital Alliance 5-year progress report
