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          BIMA
          BIMA AI: Accelerating Intelligence

          Join us for the BIMA's thought leadership panel around AI in the advertising industry and gain insights from Noor Naseer.

          09/26/2023

          5:30pm - 7:30pm

          Hill Holliday

          arrow-go
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        • ...
          City Awake
          Make Your Voice Heard: Reimagining Nightlife with Corean Reynolds

          Corean Reynold was recently appointed the Director of Nightlife Economy for the City of Boston, where she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for fostering an equitable and thriving nightlife ecosystem.

          10/04/2023

          6:00pm - 7:30pm

          Roundhead Brewing Company

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          Government Affairs
          2023 Government Affairs Forum: State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg

          Don’t miss our upcoming Government Affairs Forum with Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah B. Goldberg. Register now!

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          9:45am - 11:00am

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          • Call for Nominations
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        • EQ to Elevate Workplace Well-being

          Designed for mid-level managers and supervisors, this new certificate program addresses workplace well-being through unique, innovative, and actionable methods.

          Read More
          Transformational DEI Certificate

          Join our Transformational DEI Certificate! Our comprehensive learning & development offerings are designed to connect and grow strong leaders who lead both inside and out of the office.

          Read More
          Women’s Leadership Program

          Our Women’s Leadership Program enables you to take your leadership to the next level by arming you with the most in-demand leadership toolkit.

          Read More
          Boston’s Future Leaders

          Our Boston’s Future Leaders (BFL) program provides emerging leaders with a socially conscious and civically engaged leadership toolkit, as well as the opportunity to apply their knowledge through experiential assignments.

          Read More
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          Our Economic Inclusion Committee provides strategic support around research, policies, and programs that are focused on building equal opportunity.

          arrow-go
          Read More
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          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

          arrow-go
          Read More
        • ...
          Fierce Urgency of Now Festival
          2023 Fierce Urgency of Now Festival

          The Fierce Urgency of Now Festival brings Boston’s diverse young professionals together with business leaders, organizations and their peers to build connection, advance careers and ignite positive change.

          09/12/2023 -

          09/16/2023

          Greater Boston

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          Read More
          BIMA

          BIMA (the Boston Interactive Media Association) serves a vibrant community of like-minded professionals from agencies, brands, publishers, and ad-tech companies with business interests in the New England market.

          Read More
          Women’s Network

          For nearly 30 years, the Chamber’s Women’s Network has connected female professionals of all background and career levels. Today, our Women’s Network is the largest in New England, strengthening the professional networks of women each year.

          Read More
          Massachusetts Apprentice Network

          The Massachusetts Apprentice Network convenes employers, training providers, and talent sources interested in developing and implementing apprenticeship programs in occupations across industries and statewide in fields such as tech, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and more.

          Read More
          Pacesetters

          We are developing an ecosystem of corporations and partners with the influence and buying power to transform economic inclusion for minority business enterprises (MBEs).

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Climate change is a business issue

January 24, 2020

Employers across the region have begun to recognize the importance of becoming climate ready. Many businesses have already taken steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be more resilient. Yet there is more work to be done to improve the business community’s ability to adapt and respond to the anticipated impacts of a changing climate.

Why should businesses care about climate change?

Ultimately, it comes down to how businesses spend their resources. From the professional services industry to our academic institutions, the greater Boston and state economies are heavily dependent on intellectual capital. With the looming threat of climate change and its impacts across the region, businesses will have to shift investments from their human assets to their physical assets. This means there will be fewer resources available to hire employees, train or develop employees, and invest in new ventures. For an economy so dependent on people, that prospect is troubling.

Our inability to invest in the intellectual capital that drives our regional economy is part of the broader business risk associated with climate change. Understanding this risk and becoming climate ready now means avoiding future economic uncertainty and higher costs.

Should businesses be preparing for climate change right now?

Yes. While the worst-case scenario sea level rise for Downtown and the Seaport may be several years off, businesses already feel the impacts of a changing climate. Consider the severe weather events in the last five years, including the 2015 winter storms that shut the city down for several days. That disruption to travel and childcare results in lost productivity for employees who are delayed or miss work. Projections show that these kind of weather events will become more frequent and more severe.

I’m a small business. Why should I worry about climate change?

The large-scale weather events and flooding anticipated with climate change will be particularly costly for small businesses, and the impacts ripple through the economy. Already, main street districts along our coast – from Front Street in Scituate to Commercial Street in Provincetown – are inundated during extreme storms. Only a few inches of flooding can cause substantial financial hardship: FEMA reports the average commercial flood insurance claim is more than $85,000. More seriously, after extreme storms, nearly 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen. Small businesses, many of which are independent and family-owned, serve as important wealth generation vehicles for some of the region’s most vulnerable populations such as immigrants and the economically disadvantaged.

What are the Chamber’s policy views on climate readiness?

Policy steps should focus on supporting businesses as they prepare and adapt, collaboration between public and private sectors, and streamlining our climate goals.

  • The Chamber will advocate for policies that incentivize businesses to act, such as tax credits for mitigation and adaptation investments and the expansion of the state’s Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program to qualifying businesses.
  • We support employers and government collaborating on any new governance structures or financing mechanisms that will determine how, when, and which investments are made in climate resiliency. Public private partnerships, like those proposed in Governor Baker’s transportation bond bill, would also provide opportunities for private entities to invest in mitigation or adaptation measures that would have broader benefits.
  • State and local policymakers should develop simplified climate goals that are aligned across government levels. They should seek employers’ input as they develop the goals and the plans to achieve those goals.
  • Recognizing the innovation opportunities that climate change presents, the Chamber will advocate for policies that cultivate our green workforce through career vocational/technical education (CVTE); promote business innovation, such as in finance and investments in climate-ready infrastructure, by eliminating regulatory barriers; and encourage investment and research & development through the state tax system.

The Chamber needs your help to address climate change. Members at the advocate level and above are invited to join the Chamber’s Climate & Energy Leadership Council, which convenes business and government leaders for dialogue, education, and advocacy on climate readiness and energy issues that impact employers. Contact James Sutherland for more information. 

James Sutherland, PhD

Director of Policy & Research

[email protected]
617-557-7312

265 Franklin Street
Suite 1701
Boston, MA 02110
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