Climate forum in Sacramento highlights new research into economic impact of disaster preparedness
A forum in Sacramento Tuesday brought together national business, community and government leaders to discuss the potential economic impacts a major disaster could have on the region.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce hosted the event.
“Really the focus was making sure that we invited partners and business leaders, collaborators that are all interested in working on climate resiliency for our region,” said Robert Heidt of the Sacramento Metro Chamber.
The Climate Resilience Forum also highlighted new research by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and Allstate, which offered insight into the cost of failing to prepare for a disaster.
“You can’t eliminate the losses, but you can reduce them,” said Chuck Chaitovitz of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “That helps communities and economies recover more quickly and as a consequence, people recover more quickly as well.”
The research found that in Sacramento, one dollar in investment could save nearly $11 in economic savings and cleanup.
“If you make some smart decisions before a disaster happens, you can not only save lives but also save jobs,” said Rob Glenn of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.
The panelists urged communities to look at disaster preparedness holistically, encouraging all parties— from individual households to nonprofits and government agencies— to collaborate.
“It’s going to take many organizations and partners that continue to come together to hopefully show the rest of the country what we can do when it comes to wildfires, floods,” said Heidt.
The organizations plan to hold similar forums in other cities prone to disasters.
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