(Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Corner - Photo Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

Climate change and economic growth are often thought of as opposing forces, but there is growing evidence that ambitious climate action can not only protect the environment but also be a powerful engine for jobs, investment, innovation, and overall economic resilience. In West Virginia, where energy, coal, and natural resources have long defined the economy, state legislators are beginning to respond – though with a mix of ambition, caution, and areas still to be filled in. Below is an exploration of how climate action supports economic growth.

Moving toward renewable energy sources – solar, wind, hydro, energy storage – requires manufacturing, installation, maintenance, and related infrastructure. These are labor-intensive sectors that create jobs locally. Investment in grid modernization, transmission, and resilient infrastructure also tends to flow into rural and often neglected areas, spreading economic benefits. Moreover, as clean energy costs fall, consumers and businesses benefit from lower energy bills, freeing up spending and redirecting capital into other parts of the economy.

Policies that support energy efficiency – better building codes, efficient appliances, industrial process optimization – reduce waste and lower the cost of doing business. Less spending on energy that’s wasted means more can be invested elsewhere. Additionally, more reliable infrastructure (less downtime from storms, less heat-driven inefficiency) boosts productivity.

By reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, climate action delivers co-benefits: fewer health care costs from air pollution, fewer lost workdays, less damage from extreme weather and flooding. Avoiding or mitigating these costs can free up government and private capital to invest rather than repair, restore, or respond to disasters. Long-term climate risks – sea-level rise, heat waves, supply chain instability – also threaten economic stability; acting now reduces those future losses.

Companies that lead in clean technologies, renewables, resilient infrastructure, sustainable agriculture, etc., can develop products and services for a growing global market. Early adoption and supportive policies can help create local clusters of expertise, attract research and development, and draw in private investment. Regions that lag can lose out as companies increasingly prefer jurisdictions with clearer climate/regulatory policies, cleaner energy sources, and lower carbon risk.

Current administration excepted, enhanced climate commitments open doors to federal funding, grants, and private investment. For, example multilateral agencies like the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have reported that more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) offer a path to higher GDP, as economic growth is unlocked through aligning climate and development goals. Certainty in policy (clear targets, incentives, rules) reduces risk for investors and lowers cost of capital, making large-scale clean projects more viable.

The Trump administration has destroyed many entrepreneur’s dreams, such as new electric vehicle start-ups, and has disabled huge corporate investments in projects such as offshore wind energy. Simultaneously, the current administration is propping up fossil fuel energy production. Just announced this week, the current administration announced that the Department of the Interior will open 13.1 million acres of federal land to coal leasing at reduced royalty rates and provide $625 million for coal fired power plant upgrades. With everything going on this week this hasn’t even made the news. President Trump’s denial of the effects of climate change reminds me of a quote “A foolish man thinks he knows everything. A wise man knows he doesn’t.” – Amanda Hocking

To think that he knows more than 99.9% of the scientific community is going to deny this country the economic boost and quality of life that could come from embracing an economy based on clean energy. We are also ceding this economic vitality to other countries especially China and are basically stepping back in time.

But all is not lost, we need not rely on the Federal government to prop up our efforts, there are many things that we can do to encourage and support clean energy development. Certainly how we vote is crucial, but in the meantime we can use the power of our purse to influence action by doing things like looking into who you bank with and how they invest and selecting a bank that invests more responsibly, go to bank.green to find out. If you are fortunate enough to have investments, there are investment firms that focus on environmentally sustainable investing. Of course, there are many things you can do to conserve energy in your everyday life and with improvements to your home. This is just a smattering of the things you can do, the list is long.

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Vic Elam is an avid outdoorsman and contributor to organizations that share his concern for our environment, including Mid-Ohio Valley Climate Action.