Our Reinventing Fire Commitment: One Year Later

Each year, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting gathers heads of state, business leaders, and nonprofit directors from around the world to share their commitments to action—a concrete plan to address an urgent global issue.

In concept, these commitments can help organizations develop the partnerships needed to get these ideas off the ground. So far, they are off to a good start: Since 2005, CGI members have made nearly 2,000 commitments which have improved the lives of nearly 300 million people in more than 180 countries.

One year ago, on behalf of Rocky Mountain Institute, Executive Director Marty Pickett delivered our commitment to Reinventing Fire, a vision to map and drive the business-led transition from oil and coal to efficient and renewable energy.

Below are some highlights of RMI’s commitment:

Reinventing Fire: Bold Business Solutions for the New Energy Era
To date, Reinventing Fire has been a research initiative—a synthesis—built on RMI’s experience in the four target sectors of transportation, buildings, industry and electricity. Paramount in the Reinventing Fire vision is our belief that transitioning to efficiency and renewable energy will require an integrative approach within and between systems, and that business will lead the transition, for profit, supported by civil society and innovative public policy.

This fall, RMI will publish Reinventing Fire, a practical guide to a more competitive U.S. economy by 2050 that identifies opportunities for job creation and growth for the nation, ending our addiction to fossil fuels with the power of efficiency and renewables. Reinventing Fire makes clear that, rather than investing in the status quo, America’s business leaders have a prime opportunity to make smart choices and create the core industries of the new energy era.

Few commitments last 40 years, but as the 2011 CGI meeting kicks off today in New York, RMI’s commitment to Reinventing Fire is stronger than ever.

“Since RMI made its Reinventing Fire commitment at CGI last year, we’ve completed an ambitious amount of research and synthesis,” Pickett said. “Built on our 30 years of research and work in the field, RMI’s findings show business leaders how to run a 158%-larger 2050 economy using no oil, coal, or nuclear, and one-third less natural gas.”

While RMI has accomplished a great deal in the past year, this is only the beginning of a sustained institute-wide effort to drive an energy future powered by efficiency and renewables.

“We’ve come this far, and now it is time to harness the power of business to drive implementation,” said RMI CEO Michael Potts. “We are excited to see who’s with us as we build a broader Reinventing Fire community.”

Follow the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative live via webcast, or on Twitter and Facebook. If you are attending the event, be sure to catch Amory Lovins on Wednesday, September 21 as he discusses the opportunities for business leaders to tackle the consumption of fossil fuels and reap bottom-line savings.