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As governments at local, state and federal levels search for dependable strategies for economic growth, in California the paths to recovery and sustainability are converging.

Last week, the non-profit Next 10 reported that from January 2008 to 2009, jobs in the green sector grew more than three times faster (three percent) than total employment in California (one percent).

“Green is providing a very solid foundation for future growth,” Next 10 founder F. Noel Perry told the Los Angeles Times.

In same week, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson announced plans to create a regional clean-tech authority and double the number of green technology jobs in the Sacramento region. This is the latest evolution of the Greenwise Sacramento initiative the Mayor launched last year with goals including establishing Sacramento as hub of clean technology, building a qualified workforce for green jobs, and supporting public policies and practices that “attract, keep and grow clean industry.” These efforts benefit greatly from the work of the Green Capital Alliance and Valley Vision.

Other communities have also set their sights on green development. In 2007, UC Berkeley, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, and the cities of Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond and Emeryville established the East Bay Green Corridor, a collaboration intended to attract and retain green businesses, new technologies and jobs.

In Southern California, the Green Valley Initiative was established in 2006 to bring green technologies and sustainable practices to Riverside and San Bernardino counties. CleanTech Los Angeles is a multi-institutional collaboration between the City of Los Angeles, its Community Redevelopment Agency, UCLA, USC, Caltech, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Central City Association, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Los Angeles Business Council and the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation. Its goal: “to establish Los Angeles as the global leader in research, commercialization, and deployment of clean technologies.”

CleanTECH San Diego is a non-profit membership organization formed "to accelerate San Diego as a world leader in the clean technology economy." Board members include representatives from the investment, energy and business sectors, as well as academic and research institutes and local government.
 
These initiatives – and others like them in communities and regions around the state – are working within the context of the Golden State’s ever-changing mix of state and local policy development and implementation, incentives and technological innovation. For the sake of all involved, not the least citizens and potential green employees, it is important that policies, best practices and technology be shared.

The Green California Summit, coming to Sacramento April 18-20, was established to facilitate this kind of information exchange. Led by an Advisory Board that includes leaders from government and industry, the Summit highlights the best in green policy and practice through education sessions, keynote presentations, an Expo featuring green products and services and the Summit’s annual Leadership Awards.

The theme of the 2011 Summit is “Green Paths to Economic Recovery,” a topic that will be addressed in a variety of ways – from sessions highlighting the savings attainable through energy and water efficiency to a keynote presentation on green job creation by venture capitalist Elton B. Sherwin, Jr., author of “Addicted to Energy – A Venture Capitalist’s Perspective on How to Save our Economy and Our Climate.” General session attendees will also have a chance to get an update on the Greenwise Sacramento intiative from Mayor Kevin Johnson.

Keynote sessions and the Expo – including more than 200 companies – are free to registered attendees. For program and registration details, click here.

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