[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.