We don't just talk about the issues facing Guernsey business. We put people in a room and get to work.
Chamber's working groups bring members together around the challenges that matter most — sustainability, housing, skills — to share knowledge, shape policy, and push for change. Each one is open to members who want to do more than watch from the sidelines.
Sustainable Business Initiative
Helping businesses become more sustainable, without the guesswork.
The Sustainable Business Initiative is a Chamber-hosted community of sustainability champions, set up so businesses don't have to figure this out alone. Green finance, energy use, waste management, choosing the right ESG framework — whatever stage you're at, someone in this group has already been through it and is willing to help.
What we've learned
When we surveyed Guernsey businesses, the number one barrier to becoming more sustainable wasn't cost, or time, or a lack of will. It was simpler than that: not knowing where to start. Large finance houses and one-person operations gave us the same answer.
So we built a starting point. Three steps, in this order:
- Decide to act. Nothing changes until the business decides it wants it to.
- Appoint a sustainability champion. Things get done when they're someone's job. Make it someone's job.
- Apply an ESG framework. The right framework for your sector gives you a way to measure impact, plan change, and — often — earn accreditation.
Get involved
Join the conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter, or come along to one of our events — free for all Chamber members. Got expertise to share, a case study worth telling, or a question? Email SBI.Guernsey@gmail.com.
SBI Co-leads
Alex Herschel
Founder, Sea Green Solutions
Chartered Environmentalist with 28 years across ESG, energy, natural capital and climate change. Having held senior roles in both government and the private sector, she now helps businesses turn environmental risk and ambition into practical, workable plans — including guiding developers through environmental impact assessment and planning.
Rollo de Sausmarez
Director, UN1TY
20 years in marketing and innovation leadership, the last four focused on business sustainability. Former Marketing and Innovation Director at Healthspan, and founder of the Sustainable Business Initiative. Particularly interested in embedding sustainability into day-to-day operations, not just strategy documents.
Guernsey Housing Forum
Getting the right people around the table on housing.
Housing shortfalls affect every business on this island, whether it's staff who can't find anywhere to live or a sector that can't grow without them. Chamber launched the Housing Forum to do something about it — bringing together the people who can actually move the needle, and acting as an impartial coordinator between them.
What we've agreed
The Forum agreed its mission: to give policy-makers independent, constructive and critical evaluation of policy and action aimed at closing the gap in Guernsey's housing supply, across every type of quality housing the island needs.
Ahead of the 2025 election and with a new government committee on housing established, the Forum has set out its calls to action for incoming politicians — feeding directly into the G8's wider Voice of Business advocacy. The message is consistent: the island needs a wider range of housing solutions, and it needs them without delay. The key calls to action were:
- Appoint a Housing Delivery Champion to coordinate cross-committee dialogue and implementation and publicly report progress quarterly highlighting opportunities and threats to delivery
- Review structure of the DPA and establish a Housing Committee
- Begin visible delivery of the Housing Plan – end delays, publish a schedule and track progress publicly via six-monthly updates.
Get involved
If housing affects your business — and you want to help tackle our housing issues — get in touch at hello@guernseychamber.com.
People & Skills Group
Building a workforce Guernsey can actually rely on.
Members have told us the same thing for years: a shortage of skills is holding their businesses back. Guernsey has full employment - with a current workforce shortage and a future talent gap at the same time — a harder problem to solve than either one alone, and it's getting harder as the population ages and more people over 50 leave the workforce.
The People & Skills Group, chaired by Lorna Pestana, is working on it from three directions:
- Researching what the real issues are
- Removing the barriers
- Working with education providers to align training with what businesses actually need
"Our goal is to prioritise the actions with the greatest impact — supporting businesses and policymakers in building a more inclusive and resilient workforce," says Lorna.
What's driving this
Skills shortages and recruitment difficulties have hit every industry on the island, and small and medium-sized businesses have felt it hardest. The Group's focus is on strengthening the link between education and business, so training actually produces the people businesses need.
Get involved
If you want to join the Group or contribute to the research, email hello@guernseychamber.com.
Chair
Lorna Pestana
Group Executive Director at Law At Work (CI) Ltd
With over 35 years’ experience in human resources and employee relations, Lorna’s career has spanned Scotland, Jersey, and Guernsey. She has been involved with organisations such as the Chamber, CIPD, and Jersey Employment Trust and more recently, joining GET as a board member. Her aim is to support the evolving employment landscape and assist local organisations in transitioning their people practices towards sustainable, long-term outcomes.