Talking Innovation: On the Eve of Rio+20, a Conversation with the EPA’s Lisa Jackson

Next week, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, nicknamed Rio+20, will bring focus on how we live and our impact on the planet.  Innovation will be at the heart of the discussions, whether they are focused on agriculture or transportation, curing preventable disease or developing new clean energy sources.  And that’s where ITI and the Digital Energy & Sustainability Solutions Campaign (DESSC) play an important role.
 
DESSC brings together information and communication technology (ICT) companies and associations, NGOs, and other stakeholders to find new ways for ICT to improve our environment while driving long-term economic growth.  At Rio, we’ll capitalize on this convening power, hosting panels and participating in others (DESSC’s Chris Hankin sketched our activities in a post yesterday).
 
To kick-off our Rio coverage, we spent time talking innovation with a leader of the U.S. delegation – EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson.  The Administrator is one of the world’s leading voices on sustainable development.  She understands the power of technology and innovation to help find those elusive solutions to our planet’s major challenges.
 
In our conversation, we covered a lot of ground, from her Rio+20 goals to ways to hold nations accountable for their sustainability commitments.  Urban sustainability is at the top of her priority list, and she’ll be a force not only at Rio but for a long time to come.
 
Take a few minutes and watch our conversation with Administrator Jackson below, and check back throughout the week for our Rio+20 analysis.  After all, if you want to be a part of the solution, you have to be part of the conversation.
 
Dean Garfield is the president and CEO of the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI).
 

 

Public Policy Tags: Intelligent Efficiency, Environment & Sustainability

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