St. Louis, MO

The distribution of transportation, housing, human capital, and other similar resources has led most civic leaders to agree that a regional approach to economic development is most effective.  After decades of success in advancing the economy of their 16-county region, expanding into both Missouri and Illinois, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association (RCGA) is determined to realize similar accomplishments in their regional approach to climate change issues.  Through their participation as a pilot region in the Climate Prosperity Project, one of the newest and most ambitious initiatives marrying climate protection and economic development, RCGA is improving not only the economic strength, but the environmental vitality of greater St. Louis. 

In the fall of 2007, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund took on the challenge of demonstrating on a large scale that conservation, efficiency, and innovation in the green arena are key to job creation, increased incomes, a healthy environment, and the productivity and competitive edge of a region. St. Louis is currently showcasing this concept along with three other pilot communities: Silicon Valley/San Jose, California; Portland, Oregon; and Denver, Colorado. Within each region, the Climate Prosperity Project is organized around three important pillars: Green Savings, Green Opportunity, and Green Talent. 

Green Savings, explains Board Chair of Climate Prosperity Project, Inc. and President and CEO of RCGA, Dick Fleming, is a vital piece of the Climate Prosperity trifecta: “Energy efficiency saves money, which keeps our dollars here in the U.S. and can be invested in our businesses to create jobs or spent by citizens at local shops and restaurants.” To successfully achieve green savings on a regional scale, RCGA launched the Green Business Challenge in January of 2010. More than 60 area businesses participating in the Challenge have assessed their baseline sustainability levels with a scorecard measuring energy, waste, indoor environment, water usage, transportation and outreach. With this baseline established, businesses will spend eight months implementing sustainability strategies to improve their performance in all areas. RCGA has partnered with the Missouri Botanical Garden’s EarthWays Center to provide technical assistance to participating businesses.  

In the realm of Green Opportunities, the Climate Prosperity Project asserts that the process of finding solutions to improved resource efficiency and curbing emissions can lead to innovation, entrepreneurship, expansion of existing businesses, and strong economic growth. In pursuing such opportunities, RCGA has commissioned a Green Economy Profile examining the level of green technology innovation and green venture capital within the region. The report is scheduled to be released in June of 2010 and will provide a baseline of the status and diversity of the area’s green economy, laying a framework for strategic forward growth.

The last and equally vital element to climate prosperity, Green Talent, is perhaps one of the most challenging to address. “To achieve building retrofits, renewable energy installations, etc., we need the entrepreneurs, scientists, and construction workers to get the job done. Communities must ensure they have a trained workforce to prosper during this transformation,” said Fleming. In pursuit of this final pillar of the Climate Prosperity Project, RCGA has committed to the development of a regional Green Talent Strategy. Partnering with local Workforce Investment Boards, businesses, colleges and universities and union training centers, this strategy will identify growth in specific green job fields, align job training and program educational curricula with employers in green economy industries and establish a long-term action plan to meet talent demands of the regional green economy. 

The strategies implemented by RCGA and its civic partners in the 16 county bi-state region as a pilot community for the Climate Prosperity Project are not simply experimental steps forward in environmental protection, but are the basis for joining the goals of an enhanced environment and a move to a competitive regional economy. Through the elements of Green Savings, Green Opportunities, and Green Talent, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association hopes to be equipped with the tools necessary to lead the region into a century of continued health and prosperity.