NHBSR’s Advocacy Committee is ramping up our efforts in 2020 and we invite all businesses to join us.

Starting in 2017, our committee first took on the issue of clean energy. Partnering up with non-profit partners engaged in this topic, including CERES, Clean Energy NH, the Nature Conservancy and others – we supported our members in finding opportunities to share their clean energy stories and be a business voice in support of clean energy. Most notably, we authored the NH Clean Energy Principles that now has over 120 businesses as signatories and has been shared with legislators, the Governor and others to show business support for clean energy policy in New Hampshire. If your business hasn’t yet become a signatory, you can do so here.

More recently, we’ve been exploring other issues which impact businesses, our workforce and the well-being of our state and its residents. Rising to the top is the critical housing shortage. With availability and affordability challenges, housing issues can impact businesses’ ability to hire and people’s access to good paying jobs, childcare, healthcare and more. As communities often struggle with how to balance housing needs with development, land use and zoning issues, the business perspective can help broaden the conversation. More to come on this topic.

Additionally, the climate crisis is bringing new issues into the State House such as how to set our state on a path toward climate neutrality and how agriculture can be part of the solution to climate change.

We hope you and your businesses are interested in getting informed and engaged in these topics. Our committee will be regular contributors to the NHBSR newsletter with educational information and ways to get involved, so stay tuned!

By: Lisa Drake, Director of Sustainability Innovation at Stonyfield and NHBSR Board Co-chair