FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                           

January 29, 2014

 

MEDIA CONTACT:

Ben Chang, bchang@albrightstonebridge.com

 

 

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Worldwide, the gap between the infrastructure we have and the infrastructure we need for sustained growth is far too wide.  This gap makes it harder to create good jobs and to lift people out of poverty and into the middle class. 

 

Tuesday night, in his State of the Union address, President Obama spoke eloquently about the wisdom of investing in America’s infrastructure and renewable energy projects to help make our communities and people more prosperous, stable, and secure.  The President highlighted the Administration’s commitment to improving Federal permitting efficiency so that infrastructure and renewable energy projects are approved more quickly, while at the same time ensuring that they lead to better outcomes for our communities and the environment. 

 

Albright Stonebridge Group maintains its active support of the Global Infrastructure Initiative (GII), a multi-disciplinary effort designed to address the urgent need to plan, finance, build, and operate the sustainable infrastructure required to support 9 billion people.  A joint initiative of McKinsey & Company, the Abraaj Group, and the Albright Stonebridge Group, GII’s goal is to encourage new and productive investment in essential infrastructure in countries everywhere.  To that end, GII members – including private sector firms, financial specialists, government officials, and other stakeholders – are working on ways to stimulate planning, remove bureaucratic barriers, and increase productivity so that the door to investment opens and necessary projects move from the drawing table to reality.

 

Responding to Mr. Obama’s speech, GII Co-Chair Madeleine Albright said “I was heartened by the President’s call for a renewed commitment to infrastructure.  In my travels, I have seen first-hand how vital good roads, bridges, ports and waterways, power grids, and communication facilities are in enabling communities and countries to compete in the global economy.  Without these investments, societies stagnate.  With them, the opportunities provided by trade, new marketing arrangements, and advanced technology become available to all sectors.”

 

Secretary Albright continued, “I was also pleased to hear the President’s call to action on climate change.  In heeding that summons, we have a responsibility to assess the design and adequacy of our infrastructure to ensure that it will play a constructive role in mitigating the harmful effects of global warming.  Going forward, in order for infrastructure to be sound, it must be sustainable.”

 

Learn more about the movement sparked by the Global Infrastructure Initiative athttp://www.globalinfrastructureinitiative.com/

 

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Albright Stonebridge Group (ASG) is a leading commercial diplomacy and strategic advisory firm chaired by former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and former National Security Advisor Samuel R. Berger.  ASG has helped clients navigate the intersections of business, the public sector, and civil society in over 100 countries on six continents.  The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C., with more than 100 seasoned professionals around the world.  ASG advises and assists companies, associations, and foundations to assess and manage risk, realize opportunities, position themselves for success, and solve commercial, political, and regulatory challenges.  The firm's global network includes team members in Bangkok, Beijing, Berlin, Istanbul, Johannesburg, Kampala, Madrid, Moscow, New Delhi, Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Santiago de Chile, Shanghai, Sydney, and elsewhere.

 

For more information, visit: www.albrightstonebridge.com