The New Green Economy

In recent times, a wave of fear and pessimism, propagated by the world financial crisis, has stolen the headlines and challenged the home building industry. People are concerned about what will happen to the green building movement if the economy is plunged into a recession.

This is a transformative time in the economy where energy and environment are much talked about with extreme urgency. The seeds of a new green economy are sown that produces energy efficient solutions and promotes environmentally responsible products.

The process of establishing sustainable practices offers a powerful engine for economic growth and job creation. Directly relevant to today's economic environment, green building has great potential to help tackle unemployment through green jobs. For example, USGBC estimates that a 100% commitment to greening the existing commercial buildings alone would create more than 1.5 million new opportunities for employment for out of work Americans.

As policies related to energy, waste, water, natural resources, whole-house performance, and land use proliferate throughout the world, the demand for green collar jobs will multiply exponentially. In fact, American Solar Energy Society (ASES) projects that as many as 40 million ‘green collar’ jobs will be created by 2030. These green collar jobs involve the design, manufacture, installation, operation, and maintenance of clean technologies and environmentally sensitive products.

As the new economy grows, businesses will vie for skilled green collar workers, paying higher wages to people who have training related to green building, clean technology, and sustainable products. Federal grants will be offered to states and provinces that invest in the creation of green industries, and there will be incentives that directly benefit green collar workers.

With such a vast, impending opportunity, now is a perfect time to position your businesses for the new green economy. In the current weakened housing market, green building is the only segment of the industry that is actually growing, and building professionals/contractors who have the proper training and offer the right products are in high demand.

Icynene offers the industry products and solutions that provide an advantage in reaching energy saving and environmental goals. With its innovative spray foam insulation products, Icynene helps building projects achieve prestigious green building certifications such as LEED & NAHB National Green Building Standard (NGBS).

It is time for you to take advantage of Icynene’s Builder Advantage Program and get equipped with Icynene’s customized marketing tools to position your company as a leader/educator in green building.

Don’t miss this unprecedented opportunity to lead your community in the development of a new green economy.