UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Building on their ongoing partnership, from Oct. 7 through 11, Penn State Sustainability (SustainPSU) and the Pennsylvania GreenGov Council will present the annual free online Commonwealth Sustainability Week aimed at empowering governments, organizations and individuals to advance Pennsylvania’s climate goals and to build more resilient communities. The theme of this year’s program is “Action from All Angles,” recognizing that climate leadership can, and must, happen at every level of society.
“We are excited to continue to expand the audience and programming offered by our partnership with the GreenGov Council,” said Peter Boger, director for engagement at SustainPSU. “Our partnership is another example of Penn State fulfilling its land-grant mission to be of service to the entire state, supporting our communities with the resources and connections to advance their strategic priorities.”
Commonwealth Sustainability Week kicks off at noon on Monday, Oct. 7, with an overview of Pennsylvania’s progress in meeting its climate goals and a discussion of how different sectors of society are becoming climate leaders. The conversation will be led by Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley, joined by Penn State Chief Sustainability Officer Lara Fowler and Brian Regli, executive director of the Office of Critical Investments within the Governor’s office.
Remaining “lunch-and-learn” webinars for Sustainability Week include:
- Tuesday, Oct. 8 at noon: “Climate Strategies at Work: Happenings Around the State” — Professionals from municipalities, universities and organizations statewide will discuss how they have successfully advanced strategies and goals as part of their climate action and adaptation plans.
- Wednesday, Oct. 9 at noon: “Engaging Your Community: Local Climate Action” — Pam Adams, sustainability coordinator for Centre Region Council of Governments, and Neale Dougherty, sustainability director for Bucks County, will discuss the strategies they employed to encourage a diversity of community voices and constituencies to participate in the climate planning process.
- Thursday, Oct. 10 at noon: “A Regional Approach: New Opportunities through Appalachian Sustainable Finance Hubs” — Learn from a multi-state coalition led by the Steel Valley Authority and involving Penn State about a new initiative to support Appalachian communities with resources to pursue available climate infrastructure and resilience funding.
- Friday, Oct. 11 at noon: “A Valuable Partner in Climate Change: Profiling Climate Leadership of the Business Sector” — Recognizing that businesses are vital leaders in the climate movement, this webinar will profile leadership by Pennsylvania-based companies in mitigating climate impacts.
Sustainability Week sessions are free and open to all. Pre-registration is required at this link. More information about the sessions and presenters is available here.
Following Sustainability Week, SustainPSU and GreenGov will renew their monthly webinar series in 2024-25 to educate government officials, students and faculty about sustainability issues that affect Pennsylvania and the progress we as a state are making to address the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
About the GreenGov Council
The GreenGov Council was re-established by executive order in January 2019 to help the state reach its climate goal of an 80% reduction of net greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2050. Housed within the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, the council helps to integrate sustainability into the commonwealth’s policy, planning, operations, procurement and regulatory functions.
The GreenGov Council approached Penn State Sustainability in 2019 to develop ways in which Penn State can support the state government’s sustainability efforts. Together they have offered this webinar series since 2020 to help state and local government employees, non-profits and university faculty and students explore opportunities to further Pennsylvania’s sustainability goals.
To learn more about GreenGov, click here to sign up for its quarterly newsletter. For any additional questions or comments regarding registration or webinar content, contact the GreenGov Council at RA-GSGreenGov@pa.gov or Peter Boger at pgb45@psu.edu.