CGI Open Thread Posted by Adam Blickstein

I'm over at the Clinton Global Initiative's Opening Plenary Panel. Will provide some running thoughts as the session proceeds.

Clinton just introduced Muhtar Kent, President and CEO of Coca Cola. Coke has one of the best track records on global development, including  a pledge to by 2010, returning all the water they use annually for manufacturing processes to the environment at a level that supports aquatic life and agriculture. A sort of water-neutral footprint. Interesting, according to Wikipedia:

Muhtar Kent found a job at The Coca-Cola Company through a newspaper ad. He toured the country in trucks to sell Coca-Cola, and thereby learned its distribution, marketing and logistics systems.

The President of Chile, Michelle Bachelet, says it's time to pass from words to action in the current economic crisis and we must use the crisis as an opportunity for green recovery. She brings up Chile's economic crisis in the 1980's, but also said that when copper prices were extremely high, a lot of the profit was saved instead of spent and through strong fiscal strategies, and by investing 2.9% GDP, they were able to both promote economic growth and provide social safety nets which allowed the Chile to come out of the crisis.

Bill Clinton just said American members of Congress should be embarrassed that Chile, who's GDP per capita is a little below $15,000 (U.S. is around $47,000) can insure their entire population while the U.S. cannot.

Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd addressing climate change. One thing Bill Clinton said last night is that Australia is one of America's most 'conservative' allies, yet it probably has probably the most progressive global leader on climate change. 

Clinton just asked Wal-Mart CEO Mike Duke how his company was able to drastically cut emissions, increase efficiency and reduce its carbon footprint while increasing its profit margin. Duke says they integrated sustainability into its business model, it's the right thing to do and right for business. He says the bottom line it was a smart business decision that he wants to accelrate, not slow down. Also acknowledges that America can absolutely follow this model, cut emmissions and grow our economy.

An aside, Clinton makes the point that by 2010, Israel will have 100,000 electric cars on the road, far more than the U.S. even though America has far more cars on the road.

The common theme is that sustainability, efficiency, and general environmentally friendly business models can be succesfully integrated into the business strategies of the world's largest and most succesfull companies. The one caveat is that mega-global corporations also have the funds on hand to innovate and try different models as compared to smaller companies, but in the end, government incentives and tax breaks could and and should level the playing field in this regard.

Wal-Mart sold over 256 millions compact fluorescent ligh bulbs last year. According to the Department of Energy, US consumers purchase 21 million CFLs in 2000 and about 400 million in 2007. By 2012, 4 billion CFLs are set to be used in American homes.

Clinton makes the point that Sweden Denmark Germany and UK are the only 4 European countries set to hit their Kyoto targets and everyone of them saw substantial job growth and declining inequality over their past decade before the financial crisis because of their focus on renewable energy, not despite it. Proves that climate change legislation will not kill a nation's economy.

Comments

[Dan Kervick]

What a pile of sycophantic hogwash. I'm tired of living in a world in which the hopes for progressive change lie in humble entreaties to unaccountable mega-corporations to bestow voluntary benefits upon us like graces from the gods. The problems are much too comprehensive and urgent to be addressed with these dribbling showers of philanthropy and pro-bono extras. They will have all the effect of the Green Crusty Burger satirically described recently on The Simpson's.

The world's people need to seize control of this system and direct it to progressive ends through the force of law. Enough with these silly gradualist experiments in "environmentally friendly business models". These companies can be compelled to change their business models quite rapidly if we slap a whole new pile of laws on them which tell them what the new rules of the road are going to be.

The neoliberal claptrap in this post represents everything I hate about the modern Democratic party.

[Andy Swinton]

Coke's comment on water neutrality indeed is interesting. It seems to be PR stuff mainly, difficult to understand how they can be neutral when it comes to water. See http://www.alternet.org/water/110365/coca-cola's_latest_environmental_scam/

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