Letter: Guildford Excellence -- Don't Forget The Green Economy From Peter Slade Alderman Bridger is to be congratulated on producing some excellent suggestions on the way ahead for Guildford in his opinion piece: How Can We Make Guildford A Centre Of World Excellence? However he has omitted any mention of the part that could be played by the "green economy" in Guildford's future, which I believe must be an important part of the mix. Nationally it is already important. In 2011 the green economy (goods and services) was worth 122 bn, 8% of GDP and grew at 4.7%. Environmental sustainability, making the transition to a low carbon, resource- and energy-efficient economy, should be an important component of Guildford's future and this will not always be compatible with the type of economic growth which has been one of the drivers of Guildford's (and the UK's and the world's) economy in recent decades. As a contribution to a more environmentally sustainable Guildford, the Borough Council and other stakeholders should aim to foster a "green economy ". Indeed, why shouldn't Guildford set itself the aim of becoming the environmental capital of the UK? This will mean focusing policies, investments and spending towards a range of sectors, such as clean technologies, renewable energies, green transportation and green buildings. The University and the Research Park could play a major role in this by orientating some of their research activities towards renewable energy and environmental technology. To help reduce the amount of traffic congestion, there needs