Sustainable Pittsburgh

2021 Fall Sustainability Conference
2021-11-16 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Virtual
Provided by: Pennsylvania Municipal League
Details coming soon!

Ready to Run Pennsylvania Campaign Training for Women
2022-01-21 08:00 - 2022-02-09 17:00 | Virtual
Presented by: Chatham University
Ready to Run™ Pennsylvania provides non-partisan political training to encourage women to run for government leadership positions. The day-long program targets women considering or recently deciding to run for political office, providing training and mentoring by campaign professionals, political women, and officeholders. Ready to Run Pennsylvania is also a great resource for women who want to work on a campaign or get more involved in political life.

Plastic On Campus: Local efforts to reduce single-use plastic at colleges and universities
2022-01-23 16:30 - 18:00 | Virtual
Provided by: PASUP
Learn what folks on local campuses are doing to reduce single use plastics!

Florence Gibbs Momeyer Endowed Lecture featuring Haben Girma
2022-02-02 16:30 - 18:00 | Virtual
Provided by: The University of Pittsburgh, Center on Race and Social Problems

Celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Center on Race and Social Problems and join us for the Florence Gibbs Momeyer Endowed Lecture featuring Haben Girma.

General Composting 101 workshop
2022-02-17 18:00 - 19:30 | Virtual
Creating and adding compost to the soil is one of the foundational aspects of organic gardening. Most food crops require fertile, well-drained soil, and the best way to reach both of these goals is to add compost! Interested in creating your own backyard compost but not sure where to begin? Join Grow Pittsburgh for a webinar to cover the basics you need to get started.
Register Here

Virtual Distinguished Lecture: Accelerating Our Path to a Carbon Negative Society
2022-03-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Virtual
Join the Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University for a Distinguished Lecture featuring Shashank Samala.
The lecture and discussion will focus on the engineering and robotics challenges behind scaling a direct carbon capture technology.
Shashank Samala is CEO at Heirloom, a company whose goal is to remove carbon dioxide out of the air at a gigaton scale by 2035 to help reverse climate change. He grew up in southeast India where he saw first-hand impacts of climate change on some of the world’s most vulnerable people.
Shashank was previously Entrepreneur in Residence at Carbon180, a leading climate policy NGO working solely on atmospheric carbon removal, and a founder at Tempo Automation, a soon to be public company that raised >$400M from leading investors and builds mission critical electronics for robotics, satellites, reusable rockets, and more. Shashank previously worked in Marketing at Square and attended Cornell University.
This event is free and open to the public.
Registration closes one hour prior to the virtual event.
Note: This is a virtual event. A Zoom Webinar link will be sent closer to the event to your registered email address.

8th Annual PA Renewables Summit 2022
2022-03-14 00:00 - 2022-03-15 23:59 | Shenley Plaza, 4100 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
Join the Renewables Work for PA (RW4PA) coalition, the PA Solar & Storage Industries Association (PASSIA), and the Mid-Atlantic Renewables Energy Coalition (MAREC Action) for the 8th Annual Renewables Summit and Advocacy Day in the PA State Capitol. The summit brings together industry professionals, NGOs, and decision-makers to discuss important issues to the Pennsylvania renewables market. The event is also a great networking opportunity.

Preparing Your Community for Solar Development: the SolSmart Program and Technical Assistance
2022-03-16 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Provided by: Water Resources Center
Local governments have tremendous influence over the prospects for, and shape of, solar energy growth. The solar industry is a leading source of American job creation and attracting solar investment in your community is a great way to promote economic development and new jobs. Solar resources are inherently local and can benefit the community directly as energy sources. However, solar development – from the rooftop to the solar farm – presents both opportunity and risk to the community. Many communities are poorly equipped to navigate the issues of local solar development. The national SolSmart program (funded by the U.S. Department of Energy) offers free technical assistance to communities for navigating risks and capturing opportunities as the solar industry ramps up. This workshop will describe the burgeoning market for solar energy and solar development, the components of ensuring your community is “solar-ready” to both capture benefits and minimize risks, and the solar-ready certification process and technical assistance opportunities. Water quality and watershed issues will be addressed.

Large-scale Solar Development: Water Quality Risk, or Green Infrastructure? The PV-SMaRT Project
2022-04-20 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Provided by: Water Resource Center
Solar energy is now the least expensive form of electric energy generation in world. Consequently, the market for solar energy projects is surging, with large-scale projects being proposed in every state in the nation. Large-scale PV solar projects, in particular, present unique and uncertain risks and opportunities to water quality and watershed functions. The U.S. Department of Energy funded the Photovoltaic Stormwater Management Research and Testing (PV-SMaRT) project to evaluate water quality impacts of large-scale solar development. The study will create solar-specific runoff coefficients that consider type of ground cover, soil type, hydrology, slope, and solar array design based on field testing across the nation and 3-D modeling. The project will also engage permit jurisdictions (authorities having jurisdiction, AHJs), from local to federal, to disseminate the findings and identify permitting best practices to make permitting transparent and predictable and improve water quality outcomes in our nation’s surface waters. One potential implication of the study is understanding the conditions under which conversion of agricultural or disturbed land to solar development with appropriate ground cover could meet green infrastructure goals of improving water quality outcomes within impaired watersheds.

Earth Day Extravaganza
2022-04-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Virtual
Join the Center for Creative Reuse this Earth Day for a virtual extravaganza celebrating art and the environment.

Learn about Earth Day! We will share some facts about Earth Day and tidbits of its history.
Learn about Creative Reuse! We will also be sharing the story of our organization, as well as information about the concept of Creative Reuse.
Hear from amazing artists! Enjoy two artist-talks with local reuse artists Naomi Chambers and Brad Bianchi and learn about their work, processes, and the materials they use.
Make Art! You can opt to add a project kit to your ticket purchase, which will include an array of plastic objects to create a unique piece of reuse art. There will be dedicated making time towards the end of the event.

DISCOVER x UNTITLED OPEN TALKS
2022-04-28 11:30 - 12:30 | Virtual
Provided by UNTITLED
This talk will feature Democratic Society (Demsoc), a non-profit based in Brussels with offices across Europe. Demsoc works to create a democracy that works for everyone. This includes democratizing climate action and involving people in the transition to a just, resilient climate future. Because Climate Action enables us a future and Democracy allows it to be a future for all. Their Climate Programme has been working with over 14 cities across Europe, collaborating with governments at all levels, citizen-led initiatives, funders, researchers, and other nonprofits to achieve climate resilience through democratic means, what DemSoc terms ‘climate democracy’. This talk will highlight DemSoc’s fresh findings on working with change-hesitant cities. Hesitancy or resistance must be only part of the journey, not the end, and it is important to find ways to mobilize action even in settings that are hesitant to act. In such settings, Strategies for a Networked Approach can catalyze and sustain ongoing shifts toward climate democracy.

PA Solar Center Solar Soiree
2022-04-28 17:30 - 20:30 | Energy Innovation Center, 1435 Bedford Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15219, United States
Provided by: PA Solar Center
Join the PA Solar Center for their first fundraiser in a luminous evening filled with music, inspirational speakers, fun, and friends as they celebrate their successes over the past few years and look to the future of expanding clean energy across the state.

Forging the Future for Energy Efficiency
2022-05-11 08:00 - 2022-05-12 17:00 | Philadelphia Navy Yard
Presented by: KEEA
Forging the Future for Energy Efficiency is back! Join us Wednesday, May 11 and Thursday, May 12 for two full days of energy efficiency programming. Learn, network, and re-connect at our first in-person event of 2022.

Forging the Future for Energy Efficiency
2022-05-11 08:00 - 2022-05-12 17:00 | Philadelphia Navy Yard
11th Annual Policy Conference provided by KEEA

Redefining Equity, Equality, and Justice in Community Development
2022-05-16 08:00 - 2022-05-17 17:00 | Pennsylvania
Provided by: Pittsburgh Community Reinvestment Group
12th Annual Community Development Summit. Details to follow.

PITTSBURGH 2030 DISTRICT PROGRESS REPORT RECEPTION
2022-05-24 16:30 - 19:30 | The National Aviary, 700 Arch Street, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Presented by: Green Building Alliance.
Join GBA’s 2030 District team for the return of our in-person celebration of property partners in the Pittsburgh 2030 District!

Metrics that Matter: Evaluating Green Stormwater Infrastructure Performance
2022-05-26 12:00 - 13:00 | Virtual
Provided by: Water Resources Center
Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is being implemented with greater and greater frequency throughout the country in order to meet water quality goals, enhance our communities, improve climate change resiliency, and even reduce costs. It is considered an important tool for communities addressing source reduction, particularly under the recent municipal consent orders distributed to communities by the Allegheny County Health Department and PA Department of Environmental Protection. But how do owners and/or operators know if the GSI is doing what it was designed to do? During this session, stormwater program managers, governments, community organizations, and even design professionals will learn methods for assessing the effectiveness of GSI and the complexities and compromises that should be considered when performing an assessment of installed GSI practices. To that end, this presentation will explore the “metrics that matter” for every stage of a GSI project, from initial site planning to design methodologies to construction phase evaluations and ultimately to postconstruction performance monitoring. The goal is to provide municipal and design communities with a practical framework of the available and emerging resources and tools necessary to deliver GSI projects that will pass the test of time, especially in an increasingly complex social environment and in a changing climate.

2022 Nature of Place Symposium, "The Voice of Change"
2022-06-15 12:00 - 2022-06-17 13:30 | Virtual
Provided by: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens
This year, our symposium theme is “metamorphosis.” One of the largest obstacles in our human response to environmental issues like climate change has nothing to do with technology, knowledge, or intelligence: it’s human behavior and mindset. We often fear change, struggle to authentically communicate with those around us, and feel like we lack the tools to influence decision makers. With all of this in mind, the goal of Nature of Place: The Voice of Change is to help us connect to our communities, reconnect with the natural world, and catalyze real and lasting change towards climate action and an equitable green future.

BRIDGE TO 2030
2022-06-21 08:30 - 10:30 | The Highline Conference Center, 317 East Carson Street, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Provided by: Green Building Alliance
Join GBA’s 2030 District team for breakfast and networking at the Highline; learn about the intersection of Building Science and Data Science and latest updates from Duquesne Light Co.

League Sustainability Web Conference
2022-06-21 09:00 - 15:30 | Virtual
Join the Pennsylvania Municipal League for their 2022 League Sustainability Conference.

Open Streets - Downtown to Lawrenceville
2022-06-26 10:00 - 14:00 | Pennsylvania
Penn Avenue and Butler Street are yours for the day, so lace up your sneakers or pump up your bike tires! Come out to Explore hundreds of businesses from Market Square to the Strip District to Lawrenceville on our most popular route yet!

E-Waste Collection
2022-07-05 11:00 - 14:00 | Pennsylvania
Provided by: PRC
At no cost, participants can drop off cell/home phones, computer towers and peripheral equipment (keyboards, laptops, mice, etc.) and video game consoles/DVD players.
For an additional fee, individuals can drop off televisions, computer monitors and printers.

Southwest Pennsylvania Energy Efficiency Roundtable: Solar Project Planning and Opportunities
2022-07-28 08:30 - 10:30 | Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) North Campus, Room 3002, 8701 Perry Highway, Pittsburgh, PA
The SWPA EE Roundtable has teamed up with PA Solar Center and the CCAC North Campus to provide an in-person presentation on the G.E.T. Solar program and showcase CCAC North’s new 543kW solar installment, which was facilitated by the G.E.T. Solar program.
PA Solar Center’s G.E.T. Solar program provides technical assistance and financial guidance for organizations across the Commonwealth looking to benefit from solar energy.
The SWPA EE Roundtable’s mission is to help businesses and industry in SWPA reduce energy costs through improved energy management, energy efficiency optimization, and implementation of cutting-edge technology. The Roundtable provides a forum for large industrial and commercial energy users to share information and learn from experts on various energy topics, from energy efficiency technologies to energy management strategies.

G.E.T. Solar Communities Round 2 Informational Session
2022-08-10 13:00 - 14:30 | Virtual
Please join the Pennsylvania Solar Center for their video conference to learn more about G.E.T. Solar Communities, the latest instalment of the G.E.T. Solar initiative, wherein they help communities across the commonwealth realize their solar energy potential.
G.E.T. Solar Communities works with municipalities and community leadership organizations to build community awareness of solar energy and guides businesses and non-profit organizations with the community through the entire solar procurement process. Pennsylvania Solar Center connects them with the technical assistance and financing options that best suits their project, while providing education and support throughout.
If your community has considered going solar, now is the time!

Household Chemical Collection Event in Allegheny County at Boyce Park
2022-08-20 08:45 - 13:00 | Location Boyce Park Four Seasons Ski Lodge Parking Lot, 754 Center Road, Piitsburgh, PA
Safely dispose of common household chemicals Saturday, August 20th, at Pennsylvania Resource Council’s Household Chemical Collection event. PRC’s collection events are registration based. This allows them to control the flow of traffic into the event, ensuring an efficient and safe experience for the public and their staff and recycling partners. Learn more and register here!

ROCIS Intro to the Low Cost Monitoring Project
2022-08-28 19:00 - 20:15, 2022-08-29 10:30 - 11:45 | Virtual
Provided by: ROCIS
The purpose of this project is to explore and clarify the value of and applications for low cost monitoring devices in the context of indoor air quality. While our focus is on dwellings and their residents, we can accommodate several participants representing workplaces in each cohort—as long as there is a suitable place to locate monitors outside. Monitoring kits are loaned for a period of 4 weeks. The kit includes seven devices to measure particles, CO (carbon monoxide), CO2 (carbon dioxide), radon, temperature, and humidity.
Take this webinar to learn more about the LCMP and our upcoming virtual monitoring Cohort 52 (Sept. 15–Oct. 14). A limited number of folks outside of southwest PA can participate in this cohort.

ALCOSAN's 2022 Open House
2022-09-10 09:00 - 16:00 | ALCOSAN, 3300 Preble Ave, Pittsburgh, PA|PA|PA|PA
Provided by: ALCOSAN
Join ALCOSAN for its award-winning Open House, Saturday, September 10, 2022 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rain or shine, enjoy a fun-filled day of hands-on environmental exhibits, wastewater treatment plant and laboratory tours, microbiology and watershed life demonstrations, and educational activities for all ages! FREE and Open to the public!
Register here.
Please note: Registration for tours is required and can be done here.
Check out their treatment plant construction underway to support ALCOSAN’s Clean Water Plan.

Electric Vehicle Charging Community Info Session
2022-09-14 18:00 - 20:00 | Manchester Citizen Corp. Office, 1319 Allegheny Avenue, 1st Floor, Pittsburgh, PA
Presented by: PennDOT
Learn about the new National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program. Provide your thoughts about EVs and the needs in your community.

Return on all Relationships (R.O.A.R.)
2022-09-15 16:00 - 19:00 | AC Hotel by Marriott Pittsburgh Downtown, 1126 Smallman St, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Provided by: EMSDC
This pop-up Pittsburgh Panel Discussion and Networking Event will feature a panel discussion amongst diverse business owners doing business in the local, national, and global marketplace and moderated by Allegheny Conference on Community Development Vice President of Marketing, Jennifer M. Spann. Each of the companies represented are led certified Minority Businesses and they do business in and bring business into Pittsburgh. This convening event leads up to the EMSDC Annual R.O.A.R. Conference and continues the conversation about how local business is global business and how diverse businesses make a difference in the Pittsburgh region as EMSDC celebrate its 50th Anniversary.
