Green 3: Ohio ‘green’ jobs could hit 2.1M by 2030

I came across a report showing that as many as 1 out of 4 workers in the U.S. will be working in the environmental, renewable energy or energy efficiency industries by 2030…and many of these jobs will be right here in Ohio.


Under an advanced scenario, by 2030, the renewable energy (RE) sector could generate $18 billion in revenue and 175,000 jobs in Ohio and the energy efficiency (EE) sector could produce $200 billion in revenues and more than 2 million jobs in our state.

Ohio is poised to recruit many RE and EE companies because of its manufacturing workforce. Our workforce can be trained for jobs in wind turbines, biofuels, waste management, HVAC systems among others, according to the report.

Ohio must recognize that it is in fierce competition for the RE and EE jobs with traditional high-tech metropolitan areas like San Jose, Colorado Springs, and Washington, D.C.

 The state must also compete with university-centered research areas including Palo Alto (Stanford), Ann Arbor (Michigan), Boulder (Colorado), Trenton (Princeton) and Albany (SUNY-Albany).
Ohio needs to market its strengths in manufacturing, research, education, construction and operation, according to the report.

The report was compiled by the American Solar Society with assistance from the Ohio Department of Development and Green Energy Ohio.

Green 2 : Are you an environmental leader?

The role of companies in restoring and maintaining the environment is changing dramatically. I found these questions from The Environmental Leader by Twyla Dell to be especially relevant in our business climate:

• Can companies become environmental leaders?
• Can you save money by becoming eco-efficient?
• Can you afford not to do your best by the earth?
• Is environmental technology a market position?
  
  

I found other research indicating several reasons why a company would become an environmental leader. Which one fits your business? 

• Environmental marketing can be used to achieve corporate objectives.
• Companies believe they have a moral obligation to be more environmentally responsible.
• Governmental bodies are forcing firms to become more socially responsible.
• Competitor’s environmental activities pressure companies to change their environmental marketing activities.
• Consumers are shifting focus and buying from companies that demonstrate environmental leadership.

Undertaking an environmental leadership strategy today is just as important as spearheading initiatives for sales, marketing, employee training, product development and HR.  

Jim DiFrangia,
Copy Contact Account Executive/Green Initiatives

Why invest in an environmental marketing strategy?

How much time and effort should be dedicated to developing an environmental strategy for your company? I would say just as much effort as in product, price, promotion and distribution strategy. Here’s why:

Whether you are in product or service marketing, your customers are defining the way your company is positioned in the marketplace. It’s no longer a competitive advantage to focus strictly on price, service, quality, speed of delivery or other factors.

Customers also want to see you as an environmental leader, a company that is sending a message that you have a concern for our limited natural resources and is taking positive steps to make a small difference.
How do you get started by developing and executing an environmental marketing strategy? Clients we have developed marketing materials for start with clear-cut reasons for this strategy, then expand. For example:

• Meeting the triple bottom line: environmental, social, financial
• Opportunity to set yourself apart as an environmental leader within your industry
• Immediate and positive on employees, customers, stakeholders
• Demonstrate corporate responsibility in multiple ways
• Greater customer loyalty = increased revenue
• Provides outstanding opportunities for significant public relations exposure
• Constant interaction with public, customers, employees, media and community
• Continual promotion of reduce, reuse, recycle.

The above criteria then become a basis for your environmental mission statement, which I will discuss in a future post.

Jim DiFrangia,
Copy Contact Account Executive/Green Initiatives

Introducing the new Web Site

I am so thrilled to be looking at our new web site. Finally, we are beginning to walk the talk. We have those elements on our Web site that we want our clients to have.

The Public Relations Global Network should be happy to see the prominence we have afforded our affiliates on our Home Page. Our new brochure (we may even print it one day) places a spotlight on our firm’s connectivity with our clients first…and then with the media, government, and the world.

Michael Bracken and Jim Bacha have added the social media aspects of our web site that you will experience. That keeps us connected on that front. Feel free to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Our business is as robust as our web site is becoming. We look at adding 10 new or increased engagements. There is a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving Season.

All the best to you and yours as we enter the season of warm fires and great food and family.

Ed Stevens, APR