Great Lakes ‘Fresh Coast’ initiative targets 18M new jobs while protecting vast water resource

NEW YORK — Mayors from major cities in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region, including Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, launched a 10-year economic transformation plan on Wednesday, positioning the region as a “Fresh Coast” corridor to capitalize on growing global water scarcity.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative , which involves cities from both the Unites States and Canada, aims to attract 500,000 new sustainable businesses and 18 million jobs by 2035 across the region, while also protecting the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River system.

“The action plan sets a bold, transformative vision to prepare for increasing water scarcity across the world by building a “Fresh Coast” economic corridor right here in our region, which has 84% of North America’s freshwater,”