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DISCOVERing Our Region
The Goal
DISCOVER aims to create a shared, inclusive framework for measuring progress, coordinating communications, and driving interventions toward regional sustainability outcomes and policies.
The DISCOVER network was created to align respective work among leaders, organizations, and communities in southwestern Pennsylvania, and use data informed decision-making to move the dial on environmental degradation, racial and economic inequities, and making our region a healthier and more sustainable place for all.
As a measurement project and as a network of organizations, DISCOVER’s goal is to supply the engagement and structure to define regional success and make sure that what gets measured, actually gets managed.
How it Works
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Using the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals as a framework, residents of southwestern Pennsylvania convened across sectors over multiple years to craft region-specific sustainability targets – addressing topics including poverty, water quality, health, and community.
From there, the groups have worked together to identify indicators and available data sets to track progress toward these goals. Through deliberative process and collaborative discussion, participants are also aiming to develop new narratives for our region, helping us better understand perspectives and to shape a story for Pittsburgh that can be shared by all.
Working Groups
To do this work, four working groups were established: Equity, Environment, Health and Infrastructure. Members constituted a broad cross-section of representatives from organizations and community groups working in these spaces. Each working group focused on a subset of related United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Equity and Environment working groups were created first, followed by the Health and Infrastructure. As such, more progress has been made with Equity and Environment to date
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Equity
Focus Areas:
- No Poverty
- Quality Education
- Gender Equality
- Decent Work and Economic Growth
- Reduced Inequality
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Environment
Focus Areas:
- Affordable and Clean Energy
- Responsible Consumption and Production
- Climate Action
- Life Below Water
- Life on Land
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Health
Focus Areas:
- Zero Hunger
- Good Health and Well-Being
- Clean Water and Sanitation
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Infrastructure
Focus Areas:
- Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
- Sustainable Cities and Communities
- Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- Partnerships for the Goals
The Backstory
What does it take to create a more sustainable region?
The social and environmental challenges that southwestern Pennsylvania face are widely recognized, including uneven opportunity and health outcomes across race and gender, poor air quality, and the need for an inclusive transition to clean energy.
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But the region’s many nonprofits, municipalities, and businesses haven’t always compared notes on how best to promote a healthy and resilient region where everyone can thrive.
We need shared vision, goals, and metrics to drive coordinated action and achieve true impact.
Since 2020, the DISCOVER (Defining Intersectional Sustainability to Collaboratively Optimize for a Vibrant and Equitable Region) network has been working toward just that.
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