How Can Upper Valley Businesses Survive in a Changing Climate?

The changing climate is bringing many challenges for businesses, including extreme and more variable weather, water restrictions, supply chain disruptions, and measures by the government to curb emissions to help meet greenhouse gas reduction targets. How can businesses survive – and even thrive – in these conditions?

That topic will be explored in “How Local Businesses Can Be Wise About Climate,” a free, public, virtual forum on Wednesday, December 7, noon-1:30 pm, led by the Upper Valley Adaptation Workgroup (UVAW). This interactive session will include breakout rooms and time to reflect and connect with local business community members about how to be wise about climate. This is a valuable opportunity to explore how to make short-term decisions that will have long-term benefits to your business and community.

The event will include a panel discussion by representatives from local businesses including Robin Tindall, Environmental Stewardship Team Leader at Hypertherm, and April Harkness, ESG Manager at Hanover Co-op Food Stores of NH & VT. It will also include presentations by Andrew Hatch, Energy Efficiency Program Manager at Resilient Buildings Group, Inc. in Concord, NH, on how businesses can access resources for climate funding; and Brad Long, Key Account Manager at Vermont Energy Investment Corporation.

UVAW is a bi-state, multi-stakeholder working group of leaders and partner organizations. Started in December 2011, the workgroup meets monthly to focus on building climate-resilient communities in the Upper Valley. Since 2017, UVAW has been housed at Vital Communities, a nonprofit based in White River Junction, VT, with a mission of bringing people together, bridging boundaries, and engaging our whole Upper Valley community to create positive change. UVAW’s previous public forums have explored such topics as preparing for just and prosperous climate migration, protecting land and wildlife in a changing climate, impacts on farms, managing droughts and downpours, and mobilizing local communities for resilience. https://vitalcommunities.org/climate-change/upper-valley-adaptation-workgroup