Sustainable Economic Development

As economic and environmental volatility becomes the new normal, CNT’s Sustainable Economic Development program is focused on recovery from these related crises. Sustainable Economic Development is a national initiative built on local economies’ unique assets to address their individual challenges and provide quantifiable real-world benefits. It is a practical, implementable toolkit that tailors strategies to work for local people, businesses, and institutions.

Elements of an anti-poverty program may be common from place-to-place, but solutions must be grounded in the political, social, and economic reality of a location if they are to create real change. The Sustainable Economic Development framework identifies a city’s specific needs and untapped opportunities, using these to lift people out of poverty and bolster economic and environmental resilience. These solutions are designed to raise incomes and decrease household costs by increasing resource efficiencies, improving access to jobs and services, and creating new employment opportunities.