Sustainable Economy & Development The Good, The Bad & The Truth March 23, 2015 William G. Russell Transitioning to Green, LLC Presented to NJ Appleseed.

Sustainable Economy & DevelopmentThe Good, The Bad & The Truth

March 23, 2015

William G. RussellTransitioning to Green, LLC

Presented to NJ Appleseed Policy Forum

Agenda

• Green Business & Building Economics: The Good!

• Current Economics of Development: The Bad!

• Sustainable Communities: The Ugly Truth!

Bottom Line Business Case

Profit could increase by 51-81%

Profit could drop by 16-36%

Green Buildings: Save Money

World Green Building Council, “The Business Case for Green Buildings,” March 2013.

Total 20-Year Net Benefit

20-Year Net Present Value

Gregory H. Kats, “Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits,” 2003.

Green Buildings are Good Business

Green Building Business

Cases

World Green Building Council, “The Business Case for Green Buildings,”

March 2013.

Leonia, New Jersey

• Today:– Church on 1-acre parcel– Zoned single family– $ 0 Property Taxes

• Approved:– 37 Units, 4-Story Multi-family– Nine zoning variances– Church contingent sale of land $1.8 million– $200,000 estimated property taxes– $ Community costs to serve new people?– $ Value to developer for $0 in community concessions.

7

Rigged Rules

“Rule-Riggers” in the top 0.1% have direct access to legislators and thousands

of lobbyists. They are considered “opinion leaders” because of their personal and corporate

philanthropy.

Between 1979 and 2007, incomes of the 1% rose 224%;

incomes of the 0.1% rose 360%.

Rule-Riggers, chiefly the leaders of Wall Street-based financial institutions and of the transnational

corporations they finance, have changed the rules of the economy to

benefit asset owners at the expense of wage earners,

and global corporations at the expense of local businesses.

“How The 1% Got To Be That Way, And How The 99% Can Fight Back,” book review in CSRwire Talkback, April 2012.

99% Awakening

Consumption & Land Use…

www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/world_footprint/

Economic SecurityHousehold shelter spending

Unemployment rate% Low income people

Household debtGovernance & Empowerment

Education Voter turnoutCity council Public

Participation

Environmental QualityWater quality & consumption Green space Solid waste Air quality

GHG emission reduction Urban biodiversityInfrastructure & Energy

Density Green buildings Public transport Cycling Infrastructure Electricity use

Social Well-beingLife satisfaction

Mobility Health and access to careMuseums Homelessness

“North American Sustainable Cities Scorecard, Methodology,” Corporate Knights.

Sustainable CommunitiesSustainable Municipality

Indicators(27 Indicators)

Green Economy & Sustainable Development

Produced by the UN RISDwww.youtube.com/watch?v=O5lBwrJcUOk&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs

Be smart! & Get Engaged!Sustainable Communities, It’s not the economy, but the environment

Society and Business are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Environment

Conclusion

Thank You!

William G. Russell Principal Transitioning to Green, LLCPhone: 646-345-8836Email: [email protected]: www.transitioningtogreen.com