Markell’s Strategy for a Greener Delaware

Governor Jack Markell

Gov. Jack Markell announced Monday that Delaware will be the only state participating in a national project that places sustainability and environmental health and welfare squarely at the center of economic development efforts.

The Climate Prosperity Project, sponsored by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and Global Urban Development, seeks to demonstrate that innovation, efficiency and conservation of resources are the best ways to create jobs and increase incomes, productivity and competitiveness.

Delaware is the only state that’s joining in on the project. Other pilots include: Silicon Valley/San Jose, Metropolitan Seattle, Metropolitan Denver, Metropolitan Portland, Metropolitan St. Louis, Southwest Florida, and Montgomery County, Maryland.

Project participants will develop best practices and provide expert advice for pilots that are pursuing environmentally sustainable economic development strategies.

For Delaware, Markell is working on a three-prong attack to grow the economy while helping the environment, including the following:

1. Attaining Green Savings: In partnership with the Sustainable Energy Utility, the modernization service will inspect existing homes and businesses for energy saving improvements and offer small grants for these improvements.

2. Take Advantage of Green Opportunities: Working together, the state, businesses, and the labor community will work together to find ways to ensure that businesses in Delaware can become more efficient and become active members of a sustainable economy. The state will also initiate partnerships to create a Green Global Supply Chain Service – helping small businesses to understand their place within the global green supply chain, identifying markets and connecting small businesses to them.

3. Building Green Talent: Investing in the education and re-education of our students and current laborers of environmental issues and industries will create hubs of talent and expertise throughout Delaware. The Delaware Green Talent Initiative will ensure that new workforce entrants as well as those who are changing careers receive job counseling, placement help, and ongoing assistance. Examples include DelTech’s training program for windsmiths, and their developing curriculums for Certified Environmental Review and Certified Environmental Manager (green building-related).

Markell explains, “Adopting a climate prosperity strategy in Delaware will not only grow our economy and create good-paying jobs, but it will also help Delawareans save money on their energy bills and help our environment by reducing pollution.”

“Everyone wins when we create jobs and help the environment.”