Through the Pittsburgh 2030 District, GBA is a partner of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative (PCI), which is a collaborative partnership in the Pittsburgh region to reduce greenhouse gases through measurable actions. Pittsburgh’s overall reduction goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 20% below 2003 levels by 2023.

Who is Collaborating?

From 2008 onward, PCI has taken responsibility for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Allegheny County by implementing the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan and measuring its progress. GBA convened both the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative and the Higher Education Climate Consortium (HECC) from 2008 through early 2012. Participants have and still include:

• Allegheny County: Creating more sustainable internal operations and practices

• PennFuture: Black and Gold City Goes Green community campaign

• City of Pittsburgh (co-convener): Co-convener and creating more sustainable internal operations and practices

• Green Building Alliance: Pittsburgh 2030 District

• Higher Education Climate Consortium: Engages 12 Pittsburgh-region colleges and universities to collaborate, share information, and set goals so that HECC organizations can align with Pittsburgh’s overall greenhouse gas reduction goal

• Pennsylvania Environmental Council (co-convener): Co-convener, facilitator, communications, and tracking lead

• Student Conservation Association: Green Cities Corps Fellows

• Sustainable Pittsburgh: Champions for Sustainability and Sustainable Pittsburgh Challenge

Pittsburgh Climate Resources

• Pittsburgh Climate Initiative (Implementation, 2008 – present)

• Pittsburgh Climate Action Plans

  • Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, Version 2.0 (February 2012)

  • Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, Version 1.0, (June 2008)

• Pittsburgh Greenhouse Gas Inventories

  • 2008 Pittsburgh Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory: A Five-Year Benchmark, (2010)

  • Pittsburgh Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, (December 2006; uses 2003 data)

• Green Government Task Force (2006 – 2008)

History of the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative

In 2006, Pittsburgh formed the Green Government Task Force (GGTF) to discuss city sustainability opportunities. This task force of local stakeholders was led by co-chairs: Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, Pittsburgh City Councilman Bill Peduto, and Pennsylvania State Senator Jim Ferlo, and was convened by Green Building Alliance.

Also in 2006, GBA oversaw compilation of Pittsburgh’s first greenhouse gas inventory, performed by Carnegie Mellon University students using 2003 data. Using this inventory as a baseline, GGTF facilitated open discussions with Pittsburgh’s government employees, businesses, community members, and universities to help create the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, Version 1.0. This action plan set a citywide goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20% below 2003 levels by 2023.

In August 2008, the city of Pittsburgh adopted the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan as a guiding document. In late 2008, the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative partnership began implementing the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, and in mid-2009 Allegheny County joined the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative in working towards countywide greenhouse gas emission reductions.

In 2010, PCI worked to create the 2008 Pittsburgh Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, which fed into the creation of the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, Version 2, that was unanimously endorsed by Pittsburgh City Council and signed by the mayor in March 2012.

Prepared in 2010 and 2011 by the Pittsburgh Climate Initiative Partners and a wide number of other stakeholders, the Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, Version 2 reviews local greenhouse gas reduction measures already undertaken and proposes new measures that these sectors can implement in order to help meet the local greenhouse gas reduction target of 20% below 2003 levels by 2023.

The updated Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan follows a framework similar to its predecessor by organizing recommendations in the following sectors: government, business, community, and higher education. Recommendations were developed by the leading committee for each sector, which included:

• City of Pittsburgh Sustainability Commission

• Business Climate Coalition

• Black and Gold City Goes Green Community Partners

• Higher Education Climate Consortium

Additionally, in the updated Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, the government sector was expanded to include three city of Pittsburgh authorities: Housing Authority of the City of Pittsburgh (HACP), Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA), and Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh (URA).

Top banner photo: Zachary Anderson (Unsplash)