    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
    [March 7, 1996]
    [Pages 394-395]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Report of the President's Council on Sustainable
    Development
    March 7, 1996

        I was pleased tonight to accept a report from my Council on
    Sustainable Development, an advisory group which I established to
    outline a new direction in environmental policy. In my State of the
    Union Address, I said that the era of big Government is over, but I also
    said that we can't go back to a time when citizens were left to fend for
    themselves. As we move toward

    [[Page 395]]

    a new, smaller Government, citizens must work together to tackle the
    challenges of a new century. We must reach across the lines that divide
    us to find common ground.
        When I first appointed the Council almost 3 years ago, some of them
    knew each other only as adversaries. But with this report, they have
    shown us the power of partnership. They have demonstrated that when
    business, environmentalists, and Government work together in good faith,
    we can pursue simultaneously the goals of economic prosperity, social
    equity, and environmental quality.
        This report will make a major contribution to the challenge I set
    forth: to enable all our people to make the most of their own lives with
    stronger families, more educational opportunities, economic security,
    safer streets, a cleaner environment in a safer world. I want to thank
    all who contributed to making this difficult undertaking such a success.
        The work, however, is not finished. This report will not sit on a
    shelf gathering dust. Instead, I am announcing the following actions:
    First, I ask the Council to continue its work in order to begin
    implementing some of its recommendations. I hope Jonathan Lash and David
    Buzzelli will continue to serve as co-chairs through December. Second, I
    have asked the Vice President to lead these efforts within the
    administration. Finally, I will ask White House offices and Federal
    agencies to support the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the National
    Association of Counties in establishing a new Joint Center on
    Sustainable Communities. This new partnership will work to implement the
    recommendations in this report in communities across the Nation.