What is a “Green Economy”?

A green economy can be defined as one that produces and consumes goods and services without compromising the quality of the environment while maintaining and promoting high standards of living. Access to abundant, reliable, and affordable energy has, and will continue to be, at the center of the debate on maintaining the balance between the quality of the environment and quality of life. Unlike in the past, the focus is now on alternative renewable energy resources and increases in efficiency in the production, transmission, and use of energy. This is not a new concept, but for decades, technology, innovation, and social transformation have minimized our dependence on resources and lessened the overall impact on the quality of the environment. The challenge today is to prepare our workforce, across all sectors, to include “green skills” as part of their overall job development and to have educational programs to inform the public about the importance of being “green.”

Embracing the Green Economy is a process that requires an understanding of energy production and use in order to develop strategies specifically tailored to increase clean and efficient use of traditional sources of energy while promoting the use of alternative renewable energy sources. For example, Mississippi ranks 34th in the nation in energy consumption produced by coal, 20th for natural gas, and 28th for petroleum. At the same time, Mississippi ranks 14th nationally in producing electricity generated from bio-mass. Consumption by sector shows that Mississippi ranks 30th in residential energy consumption, 32nd for commercial, 24th for industrial, and 28th for transportation. Different sectors have different patterns of use and efficiency so developing green skills in each of these sectors may have a tremendous impact on efficiency, and therefore, total use of energy.

The big question is: How do we create green skills across sectors and how can green jobs become an occupational choice for the up-and-coming workforce?