Sustainability and the finance officer.

• Position: Editorial - Editorial

In my presidential acceptance speech I raised the issue of sustainability as an emerging critical area of focus for government finance officers and for GFOA. Sustainability touches all facets of public management, crossing jurisdictional boundaries and even national borders. It is a concept for addressing problems that we all share--problems that, if left unsolved, pose grave risks for future generations and for the future of this planet. It is the concept of striving for a sustainable economy, a continuously healthy environment, and ongoing social equity.

Public entities nationally and internationally are struggling with common environmental issues. These issues include, but are not limited to, endangered species, brownfields proliferation, deteriorating water and air quality, overflowing landfills, and ever-increasing traffic congestion. These problems must be addressed to create economies and communities that will be viable for generations to come. Our essential resources--water, air, habitat, fossil fuels, even food--are all irrefutably and eerily finite. More than ever before, these resources are interdependent. Our generation will determine whether an appropriate balance is struck or irretrievably lost.

The scientific community believes that we must reduce emissions by 70 percent in the coming decades to stabilize levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide. If we choose to conduct business as usual, temperatures will continue to rise. Global warming will accelerate trends we already are witnessing, including polar melting, the loss of coral reefs, rising sea levels, and changes in weather patterns.

Sustainability, however, is not just an environmental issue--it is also a financial issue. All of these problems, whether they are legacies of prior generations or future legacies we are helping to create, have financial implications. Governments are spending more and more money on environmental remediation and treatment. We are being called upon to reduce emissions and to prevent the buildup of landfills. Doing business as usual is becoming increasingly costly. This is why sustainability is a relevant issue for public finance professionals and GFOA.

So what can governments and, in particular, finance officers do to build sustainable communities? As you will see in this issue of Government Finance Review, sustainable solutions span from the local to the global. These solutions include

* reducing waste and recycling;

* altering purchasing...