Sustainable Economy & Development The Good, The Bad & The Truth March 23, 2015 William G. Russell Transitioning to Green, LLC Presented to NJ Appleseed Policy Forum

Agenda Green Business & Building Economics: The Good! Current Economics of Development: The Bad! Sustainable Communities: The Ugly Truth!

Bottom Line Business Case Profit could increase by 51-81% Profit could drop by 16-36%

Green Buildings: Save Money World Green Building Council, “The Business Case for Green Buildings,” March 2013.

Total 20-Year Net Benefit 20-Year Net Present Value Gregory H. Kats, “Green Building Costs and Financial Benefits,” Green Buildings are Good Business

Green Building Business Cases World Green Building Council, “The Business Case for Green Buildings,” March 2013.

Leonia, New Jersey Today: – Church on 1-acre parcel – Zoned single family – $ 0 Property Taxes Approved: – 37 Units, 4-Story Multi-family – Nine zoning variances – Church contingent sale of land $1.8 million – $200,000 estimated property taxes – $ Community costs to serve new people? – $ Value to developer for $0 in community concessions. 7

Rigged Rules “Rule-Riggers” in the top 0.1% have direct access to legislators and thousands of lobbyists. They are considered “opinion leaders” because of their personal and corporate philanthropy. Between 1979 and 2007, incomes of the 1% rose 224%; incomes of the 0.1% rose 360%. Rule-Riggers, chiefly the leaders of Wall Street-based financial institutions and of the transnational corporations they finance, have changed the rules of the economy to benefit asset owners at the expense of wage earners, and global corporations at the expense of local businesses. “How The 1% Got To Be That Way, And How The 99% Can Fight Back,” book review in CSRwire Talkback, April 2012.

99% Awakening

Consumption & Land Use…

Economic Security Household shelter spending Unemployment rate % Low income people Household debt Governance & Empowerment Education Voter turnout City council Public Participation Environmental Quality Water quality & consumption Green space Solid waste Air quality GHG emission reduction Urban biodiversity Infrastructure & Energy Density Green buildings Public transport Cycling Infrastructure Electricity use Social Well-being Life satisfaction Mobility Health and access to care Museums Homelessness “North American Sustainable Cities Scorecard, Methodology,” Corporate Knights. Sustainable Communities Sustainable Municipality Indicators (27 Indicators)

Green Economy & Sustainable Development Produced by the UN RISD

Be smart! & Get Engaged! Sustainable Communities, It’s not the economy, but the environment Society and Business are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Environment Conclusion

Thank You! William G. Russell Principal Transitioning to Green, LLC Phone: Website: