Commentary: Commerce, conservation can work together to benefit SC businesses, environment
By Leslie Skardon, Originally published in The Post and Courier
In recent years, South Carolina has begun to prove that commerce and conservation can work together, rather than against each other.
After decades of collaboration and publicly launching in 2021, Sustain SC began convening our state’s leading corporate and environmental stakeholders so they could form partnerships, find common ground and create solutions that benefit both our economic and natural resource infrastructures.
Now is the time to take those collaborations and focus on executing our ambitious yet achievable goals, making real impact with long-term investments that will drive positive results for our state.
That’s why I am thrilled to serve as Sustain SC’s new CEO and keep propelling our mission of connecting the sustainability goals of businesses to local solutions for the betterment of our economy, environment and people.
We recognize that true sustainability requires a holistic approach that addresses the interconnected challenges facing our state and our planet, so we are working to promote sustainable practices across all sectors of the economy, from agriculture and manufacturing to tourism and beyond.
This effort is possible through the accelerators we’ve rolled out as part of the Roadmap to Sustain SC. Part of the holistic approach means that our sustainable initiatives should foster economic prosperity — not diminish it.
Sustain SC will continue to advance collaborations across the state that attract new industries and enhance existing industries.
Our projects often bring together unlikely partners, but that is what enables us to fulfill our mission.
As one of the fastest-growing states in the country, South Carolina is not only on the cusp of transformative change but also poised to lead the way in embracing sustainable practices that will shape our future generations.
One such area of opportunity is manufacturing, which has the potential to employ thousands more in our state and bring back a once-dominant South Carolina industry.
As these economic opportunities arise, Sustain SC is forging alliances between organizations to transition 20th-century manufacturing practices to 21st-century innovation.
Innovations that provide well-paid jobs and implement innovative methods in production, supply chain management and distribution.
Innovations that can, and will, position South Carolina as a modern hub for manufacturing.
Supporting this sustainable economic growth requires even more collaboration between existing stakeholders. Sustain SC is fostering this collaboration by assembling a diverse group of members including businesses, government agencies, nonprofit organizations and community leaders — and we’re still growing.
Our collective expertise and resources intertwine harmoniously to pursue this vital mission and pave the way for a brighter, more sustainable future.
I look forward to strengthening these partnerships as we work to implement the Roadmap to Sustain SC and position South Carolina as a beneficiary of the sustainable revolution, all the while keeping the home we love pristine.
