Barack Obama handily won the U.S. presidential election by promising "change you can believe in." Here's how he could actually do it - and what the incoming Obama Administration may mean for your business. By John Friedman

Despite the fact that I can see Washington D.C. from my office (on a clear day), I am no inside expert on the incoming Obama Administration. Until January 20, 2009, we can only speculate how exactly President Obama will change the U.S. government s approach to environmental issues. But I am convinced (like most business leaders) that things will change substantially.

The stakes couldn t be higher for the president-elect, as Columbia University s Jeffrey Sachs so succinctly laid out in a recent Washington Post editorial: Currently, we lurch from crisis to crisis, from food to energy to natural disaster to finance, without recognizing that these cascading shocks are interconnected. Darfur, Somalia, and Afghanistan are at least as much about water scarcity, climate, and population as they are about politics; even the global financial crisis was triggered, in part, by the contemporaneous energy crisis. Business leaders are, quite understandably, somewhat apprehensive about the prospect of greater government involvement in sustainability issues not least because it s still so unclear how such involvement may play out in practice. But there s a relatively simple way to narrow down the possibilities.

If President Obama is to be successful he must start with those things that have strong public support, and for which there is broad consensus on both sides of the aisle. Here are four action items that may top Obama s to-do list.

#1. Lead by Example

People will be looking for President Obama to make good on his campaign promise to look at ways to increase efficiency within existing Federal government programs. One of the first things that he can do by executive order (does not require Congressional approval) would be to set a mandate for all departments and agencies to improve energy efficiency through a phased in change-over to compact fluorescent and LED lightbulbs as bulbs burn out they are replaced with their longer-lasting and less-energy-consuming alternatives in all Federal buildings.

While the White House and national mall and monuments may not be the best locations for solar panels, it would send a clear and appropriate message if the buildings associated with the Departments of Energy, Interior and Environmental Protection Agency each had large panels on their roofs or adjacent to their buildings. Other Federal agencies should be encouraged to follow suit as well.

All government computer printers could be set to double-sided and loaded with recycled paper. Any increased cost of the paper would be more than offset by the halving of the number of sheets of paper used.

For security reasons, the President s limousine must be a heavily armored vehicle. Perhaps it could be a clean diesel or even powered by bio-based fuel (as long as it is made from recycled oil)?

Each of these suggestions is reasonable, cost-effective and scalable; that is, the more agencies and offices that participate, the greater the cost and environmental savings. These are the kinds of things that CEOs of companies committed to sustainability are doing successfully all across the nation.

#2. Build a More Sustainable Economy

According to current research, the majority of Americans want to see a strong focus on fixing our troubled economy. The Obama Administration would do well to focus on the principles of sustainable business when addressing this imperative because as we rebuild our economy we should do so in a manner that provides real, sustainable growth and does not merely patch a hole in so that we inflate the next bubble.

Whether you call it a relief plan or bailout, the Troubled Asset Recovery Program (TARP) is coming under increasing public scrutiny as stories are coming out about funds being used to provide bonuses for the very people who are responsible for the collapse of the financial markets and lavish executive retreats. The Obama Administration should insist on a high level of accountability and transparency as to how the funds are being spent in exchange for our financial support. Clearly there need to be rules applied as to how the money can be used, and misuse of public funds should not be tolerated. Malfeasance should be punished and incompetence should be subjected to the same market forces it faces in the consumer marketplace.

The auto industry is the latest to ask for financial help, but again, propping up a failing business model is not going to give taxpayers the promised return on investment. Instead, the companies should be asked to submit proposals demonstrating what they will do differently. Just as the government mandated safety belts and third brake lights, the auto industry must be encouraged to remake itself as a sustainable industry. The government can and should insist that car manufacturers offer vehicles that meet requirements such as increased gas mileage (environment), the highest levels of safety (social) and durable quality (economic).

I have no doubt that Detroit engineers are up to the task. My first car was a 1968 Ford Mustang. It was a portable work of art, and ran for 31 years (17 for me) without needing anything more than routine maintenance. It also got better mileage than my brother s (current) SUV.

The argument that imports have an unfair advantage due to government subsidies goes out the window as soon as our automakers accept their first TARP checks. #3. Invest in Domestic, Renewable Energy

America s dependence on foreign oil troubles some people for national security reasons, and others for environmental reasons. A quick win for President Obama would be to put together a coalition to develop a plan that encourages and facilitates domestic, renewable and clean energy. Put T. Boone Pickens in charge of developing the plan. He obviously believes in it, as he has invested his own money. Perhaps he would be willing to serve as a consultant if not a full time position. Somehow I think any plan he develops is likely to offer a return on investment. Hand in hand with this goes...

#4: Promote and Fund Scientific Research

President-elect Obama has made his support of federal funding for stem cell research well known and I would expect and hope that this results in an infusion of investment into the private sector as well as the National Institutes of Health and CDC. Other governments have managed to find a way to ensure that embryos are not created for the purpose of being used for research but to discard unwanted and unneeded fertilized eggs that are never going to be implanted is turning our back on a promising avenue of research that offers to find treatments and cures for diseases ranging from Alzheimer s to Parkinson s. Put the mechanisms in place to make sure that people are not deliberately creating excess zygotes and make sure that there are no financial incentives to do so and allow American researchers to restore scientific leadership to our country.

Lastly, and this is going to be a longer term prospect and therefore may need to wait until the President has built the momentum and political capital necessary is Health care. The cost of health care is outrageous; especially when one considers that we are paying more and getting less (in terms of health and outcomes) than any other industrialized nation. Don t blame our overworked doctors and nurses for this; they do their best to perform medical miracles every day. But our system of payment is completely at odds with quality. For example, if a surgeon mistakenly removes the wrong leg the procedure is reimbursed twice (assuming the mistake is found and the correct procedure performed).

In addition to the social reasons (it is the right thing to do) there is a compelling economic argument to offer a base level of coverage for all Americans that includes preventive care and chronic disease management. Failure to prevent illnesses and care for chronic conditions costs approximately 7 out of every 10 health care dollars spent today.

The President needs to carefully review where President Clinton went wrong in his effort (making it more transparent to the public) and remember, as the largest purchaser of health care (if you combine Medicare, Medicaid, military, government employees and elected officials), the government has the purchasing power to insist on improvements.

Reality Check

Of course, it would be na ve to think that at 12:01 pm on January 20, everyone s greatest dreams (or biggest fears) will be realized. The new administration would do well to move somewhat cautiously realizing that the economic crisis we are currently in has created greater risks and fewer opportunities than would have been the case just a few short months ago.

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John Friedman has more than 20 years of experience in public relations and corporate communications. Since 1998, he has been helping companies large and small engage in programs that help drive performance by realizing their environmental, social and economic goals. A frequent presenter and author on corporate social responsibility, John is author of "The New PR," a guide outlining how companies must modify the way they communicate to meet stakeholders' changing expectations. He also serves as chair of the board of directors for the Sustainable Business Network of Washington (SB NOW).