Hey GASPers, did you hear that the PA GreenGov Council is hosting its first-ever Sustainability Summit next week? There are a ton of interesting topics on tap for the weeklong virtual event that kicks off this Monday, Oct. 3.
Gov. Tom Wolf announced the summit just this week - here’s what it said:
“We have a responsibility to future generations that requires us to act now to protect our environment and keep Pennsylvanians safe from the dangers of climate change,” said Gov. Wolf. “The GreenGov council is driving my administration’s work to support a healthier climate while lowering costs for taxpayers, and I thank them for their leadership and advocacy. Pennsylvania is proud to take the lead on advancing climate sustainability and resiliency, and this summit will promote collaboration to make our work go further and accomplish more.”
The Summit will bring together Pennsylvania’s leading sustainability experts, elected officials, state-agency leaders and policymakers for an exciting and informative series of conversations and presentations on the energy conservation and sustainability progress the commonwealth has made as well as the challenges it will face in the future. This event is free, open to all, and virtual, making it easy to attend and participate.
“Pennsylvania has made significant progress in the areas of energy conservation and sustainability,” said PA GreenGov Council Director Mark Hand. “The Sustainability Summit and 2022 Sustainability Week activities will give attendees insight into the policies, programs and funding initiatives that have contributed to our success and will help advance energy efficiency and climate resiliency and create a more sustainable future for Pennsylvania.”
In 2019, Governor Wolf signed Executive Order 2019-01 to establish Pennsylvania’s first climate goals, as part of his strategy to fight climate change and protect Pennsylvania from climate dangers. Those goals call for a statewide reduction in net greenhouse has emissions 26 percent by 2025, with a further 80 percent reduction by 2050 from 2005 levels.
That executive order also established the PA GreenGov Council, which develops strategies to help state government reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In the three years since the creation of the GreenGov Council – which is co-chaired by the departments of General Services, Environmental Protection, and Conservation and Natural Resources – commonwealth agencies under the governor’s jurisdiction have reduced energy usage by 12.3 percent for a savings of more than $8 million.
The Sustainability Summit will be a full-day event featuring opening remarks from DCNR Secretary Cindy Dunn and a line-up of six informative and interactive sessions. Throughout the rest of the week, noontime sessions on Tuesday through Friday will focus on specific sustainability topics, and feature opening remarks from PA Department of General Services Acting Secretary Joe Lee, PA Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh and other commonwealth officials.
Note: While the event is free, registration is required and can be accomplished online. Sound interesting? Here’s what you need to know if you want to go.