Hope and uncertainty. This might just be our society’s current, uneasy zeitgeist.

As the economy reels and one headline after another preaches gloom, we are simultaneously buoyed by a sense of hope after witnessing the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States last month.

In the sustainability realm, 2008 was a year of historic highs, where we saw some clear commitments on the part of government and business alike. And although it’s challenging to stay focused given the financial news around us, Junxion is resolutely emphasizing and pushing forward ideas and solutions around sustainability — just as we continue to see some positive evidence that it remains on track.

So with this hope, we’re happy to present you with the sustainability issues and opportunities that are on our minds in 2009.

Over the next several months, we’ll use this newsletter to examine each one of these topics in more detail. We’ll call on our peers, friends and clients, and perhaps other experts we know less well, and ask them to share their thoughts and opinions. Along the way, we welcome your feedback, in hopes of keeping the dialogue going and sparking new ideas that continue to push things forward.

With that, here’s what’s on our mind:

It’s amazing what synergies can be created and what gains can be made when a business focuses not only on profit, but also on improving its social and environmental surroundings. Saturated by stories of corporate greed, business blunders and bailouts, we’re paying attention to those companies that are seeking a higher purpose: social enterprise.

Bisphenol A, overflowing landfills, recyclables worth a fraction of what they were a year ago, waste-to-energy power generation. We’re thinking it’s time to get serious about zero waste.

Although tight economic times usually call for a “less is more” approach, when you must purchase goods and services – either for your business or your home – sustainable purchasing is the way to go. In fact, sustainable purchasing can save more than just money. We’ll look at how.

It’s not just in B.C. where energy conservation is on the minds of many. Sure, by 2020, BC Hydro must meet 50 percent of its incremental energy needs through conservation. But conservation is the song most of us across the country continue to sing, even as the price of oil drops from its lofty July heights. We’ll look at some of the newest tools and initiatives that are being put into action by businesses and citizens alike.

And once your conservation programs are in place, what about making a commitment to supporting clean energy? Wind, solar, geothermal, biomass, tidal, micro hydro, wave… With a new, green energy-focused Obama White House, new signs of movement in Ottawa, and a looming provincial election in B.C., how will government policy push along clean energy opportunity and innovation north of the border?

We all know that sustainability programs can actually improve efficiency and save money, but one particularly straightforward strategy is finding ways to “green” the buildings and communities in which we live, work, and play. Green buildings don’t just save tenants and home and property owners money on their energy bills; they provide health, tenant retention, sales and marketing, and risk mitigation benefits as well. Compelling benefits, especially in a faltering economy and a faltering real estate market.

As the big three automakers continue to plead for a government bailout, we’re heartened by the news that Ontario is – ahem – paving the way for electric cars. Meanwhile, Vancouver is one of only two municipalities in the province (so far) that has passed a bylaw allowing low-speed electric cars on the city’s streets. Later this year, we’ll hear from some of the innovators out there who are creating real alternatives for consumers and businesses alike — sustainability-minded visionaries who just might be the millennial versions of Henry Ford or Steve Jobs.

We hope you’ll watch this space as we expand on these ideas. And we welcome your own ideas along the way. We agree with US President Obama, and borrow from his words when we say true sustainability comes from “[choosing] hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.”

Mary Sturgeon is a consultant at Junxion, specializing in strategic communications and media relations.

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