Economic Development & Housing Working Group

PBLN Co-Founder Jim Boyle (CEO, Sustainability Roundtable, Inc.)
at the 2010 Washington Summit with Chris Colbert (Managing
Principal, Holland Mark) looking on from the left

Led by Chair Tom O’Brien, Managing Partner of JPI Northeast, and Coordinator by Sean Sacks, Assistant Vice President of the New Boston Fund, this group has discussed such topics as the “smart growth” plan to address the available and affordable housing crisis, public-private partnerships that have led to innovative development successes, and issues surrounding housing production and the policies required to ensure the health of this key driver of economic growth. Currently they are focused on issues of affordable housing as well as the economic development opportunities – necessities – presented by climate change and the policy response to it.


Values Statement
Progressive business leaders understand that our planet, our society and the economy are inexorably intertwined. The nexus between energy and the environment exemplifies this interdependence. Energy makes our society and economy possible, but the way we currently take, make, use and waste energy is damaging our environment. Simply put, our biosphere is breaking down. We are collectively overwhelming the earth’s natural cyclic processes and capabilities to recycle; regenerate and replenish itself. To restore equilibrium, our society and economy must become sustainable. Accordingly, progressive business leaders are committed to supporting strategies and policies both within our companies and our society that move us toward a more sustainable future, where we strive to harmonize our activity with our environment in our communities, in our country and throughout the world.

Policy Statement: Confronting Carbon Pollution and Energy Price Inflation
Recognizing the potentially catastrophic threat that global warming and climate change present to our environment, our society and the economy, we, the Progressive Business Leaders Network, support the following policy positions:

1. We support putting a put a price on carbon emissions, and allowing market forces to raise the price of carbon emitting forms of energy, thus stimulating the necessary shifts in our society and economy
2. We support policies that anticipate and correct imperfections in that market-based strategy in order to protect workers and small businesses and to facilitate innovation in alternative energy industries 
3. We support the Waxman-Markey bill -- American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009 (ACES Act), H.R. 2454 passed by the US House of Representatives in June 2009 as a baseline for energy legislation and encourage passage of legislation consistent with that bill and the provisions set out below 
4. We support the adoption of comprehensive climate legislation that includes: 
1. A cap and trade system for pricing and reducing carbon emissions that reduces USA carbon emissions to meet internationally agreed average per capita emissions for OECD (www.oecd.org) countries by 2050 
2. Auction of substantial majority of emissions allowances, with auction proceeds directed to ameliorate the negative impacts of pricing carbon pollution, provide funding for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects and transition assistance for adversely affected worker; remaining allowances distributed at discretion of executive branch agencies 
3. Incentives to stimulate energy innovation and renewable energy, including a national Renewable Portfolio Standard 
5. We support aggressive action by the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate Carbon as a pollutant 
6. We believe that as the leading emitter of Carbon into the Atmosphere, the United States has a moral obligation to take the lead in developing global emissions standards 
7. We support the steps taken by Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts legislature to put Massachusetts at the forefront of state and regional efforts to address global climate change, to support renewable energy, to create “green” jobs and communities, and to build a “cleantech” cluster in Massachusetts to foster innovation and transition to a more sustainable economy

The above policy statement reflects the position of PBLN. This position was developed by the PBLN Energy/Environment & Housing/Economic Development Working Groups and adopted by the PBLN Board of Directors. We encourage individual business leaders to “opt-in” by signing on to our policy statements, which PBLN may use publicly to advance awareness of our position. If you would like to opt-in and sign on to any or all of these three policy statements, you may do so by emailing PBLN Director of Operations Aaron Chalek at aaron@pbln.org.

Member Spotlight

Diane Hessan, President & CEO - Communispace
According to Advertising Age Communispace is one of the fastest growing marketing and technology companies in the country, with a Blue Chip client list that would make a Madison Avenue giant jealous. A pioneer in creating online communities to help marketers deeply engage customers, Diane helped found Communispace in 1999 and hasn't looked back.