State Sen. Marc Pacheco, chair of the Senate Committee on Global Warming & Climate Change, heads to Austria this week to speak about Massachusetts’ sustainability leadership, to celebrate a book launch, and to continue conversations with a “Green Bridge” business delegation that continues to consider "green" job opportunities in the Commonwealth.

Pacheco was invited by the United Nations Youth and Student Association of Austria.

International clean technology leaders and businesses have expressed an interest in establishing partnerships with Massachusetts because of its reputation as a sustainability innovator and leader. During his visit, Pacheco says he aims to solidify an Austrian “Green Bridge” trade mission to the Commonwealth this fall that could bring more green jobs to the state. No taxpayer dollars will be used to fund Pacheco’s mission.

Pacheco, who also serves as a Climate Leader for the Climate Reality Project, will give a presentation about the training he received from former Vice President Al Gore, who founded the organization. He also will meet with representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Austria, Life Ball Chief Executive Officer Gery Keszler, and he will visit the Bio Garden of Austrian Gastronomy during his visit.

At the European Forum Alpbach, a platform for science, politics, business, and culture, Pacheco will meet with international environmental organizations and businesses and celebrate the launch of “Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Business Success through Sustainability.” Pacheco contributed a chapter to the book, titled “Greening the Bottom Line,” which highlights Massachusetts’ sustainability leadership through its policies on and investment in clean technology and energy efficiency.

In his chapter, Pacheco recounts the creation of the Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change, as well as the passage of five major environmental laws in Massachusetts in 2008, including the Global Warming Solutions Act, which he authored. For more about “Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Business Success through Sustainability," visit www.se-award.org/en/content/book-presentation.

In Switzerland, Pacheco, as Senate Chairman to the Legislative Caucus on International Trade and Global Competitiveness, will follow up on the caucus’ recent meeting with a clean tech delegation from Geneva that visited the Massachusetts State House through swissnex Boston. Pacheco will meet with Swiss political and academic leaders at the world’s oldest hospitality university, École hôtelière de Lausanne, which is an active participant in the Clinton Climate Initiative and is interested in learning more about Massachusetts’ sustainability solutions as the university develops its own sustainability brand.

“Clean technology leaders across the globe recognize Massachusetts as a sustainability trailblazer and they are impressed with our blossoming 'green' jobs sector that now supports nearly 72,000 employees and 5,000 businesses as the result of our revolutionary clean energy initiatives,” Pacheco said. “I look forward to continuing our international dialogue and sharing Massachusetts’ success story to help further our goal of greening up the environment and the bottom line. To me, this dialogue always has been about job creation, and we are getting closer than ever to seeing a substantial commitment to increased job opportunities in Massachusetts.”

For more information about the mission, call Pacheco’s office at 617-722-1551, visit his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/PachecoFanPage or follow Pacheco on Twitter at @MarcRPacheco.