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    2025 Sustainability Week

    Join us for the fifth annual Commonwealth Sustainability Week!  Register at this link.

    The week's events will feature daily webinars, each featuring subject matter experts followed by an open question & answer discussion providing attendees with the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback in real-time.  For any questions, please contact the GreenGov Council at ra-gsgreengov@pa.gov.



    10/6/2025: 2025 Sustainability Week Kickoff: The Work Continues – Framing Sustainability in a Shifting Economic and Political Landscape

    Presenters: 

    • Abby Smith, President & CEO, Team Pennsylvania
    • Adam Walters, Senior Energy Advisor, PA Department of Community & Economic Development

    Climate urgency hasn’t changed, but economic and political realities have. Markets are slower to adapt than expected, and how we talk about sustainability matters more than ever. This session explores how leaders are rethinking narratives, strategies, and partnerships to keep progress moving in a shifting world. 

    10/7/2025: PA Food Policy Council – A Recipe for Collaboration

    Presenters: 

    • Dawn Plumer, Director of PA Food Policy Council, PA Department of Agriculture
    • Danele Hughson, Executive Director of Grow Pittsburgh
    • Julie Seby, Chief of the Older Americans Act Services Division, PA Department of Aging
    • Jessica Shilladay, Organics Recycling Coordinator, PA Department of Environmental Protection

    Join the PA Food Policy Council’s director along with its workgroup representatives to learn how state agencies and community leaders are working together to improve food security across the Commonwealth. They’ll highlight the Council’s goals, impact, and how interested stakeholders can get involved in building a stronger, more equitable food system in Pennsylvania.  

    10/8/2025: PREPARE PA Launch – Building Climate Resilience Together!

    Presenters: 

    • Jacqueline O’Connor, Ph.D., Acting Director of PSU Climate Consortium, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Penn State University
    • Peter Boger, Ph.D., ​Director for Engagement, Sustain Penn State, Penn State University

    Join us for the launch of PREPARE PA – a new statewide initiative created through a partnership between Penn State and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. PREPARE PA welcomes community members into a collaborative space dedicated to advancing climate education, strengthening climate literacy and resilience, supporting community readiness, achieving climate goals, and developing innovative solutions for a more sustainable future.

    10/9/2025: The Circular Economy – University of Pittsburgh’s Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation

    Presenters: 

    • Gena Kovalcik, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, University of Pittsburgh
    • Amy Brooks, Research Scientist, University of Pittsburgh
    • Melissa Bilec, Co-Director, Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation, Bevier Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh 

    Curious about the circular economy? In this session, we’ll feature how the Mascaro Center is leading circular efforts and then transit to highlight the Circularity Assessment Protocol – a tool that is being ​being used by cities and communities to develop, measure, and implement circular economy strategies.

    10/10/2025: Lights Out – Protecting Wildlife and Ecosystems through Smarter Lighting

    Presenter:

    • Ali Bowling, Executive Policy Specialist, PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources 
    • Leigh Altadonna, PA Audubon Council
    • Panelist TBD

    Discover how turning off unnecessary lights can protect wildlife and restore ecosystems. Our expert panel explores the impact of light pollution on migratory birds, insects, and natural habitats and how “Lights Out” initiatives make a difference. Featuring success stories like Cherry Springs State Park, this session is perfect for anyone in conservation, urban planning, or policy. Small changes in lighting can make big environmental impacts! ​ 

    ​Our partners at the Penn State Sustainability define sustainability as the simultaneous pursuit of human health and happiness, environmental quality, and economic well-being for current and future generations.

    The United Nations offer 17 Sustainable Development Goals that are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. They address the global challenges we face, including poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice.

    ​No Poverty
    		​Zero Hunger
    		​Good Health & Well-Being
    Quality Education
    		​Gender Equality
    		​Clean Water & Sanitation
    ​​Affordable & Clean Energy
    		​Decent Work & Economic Growth
    		Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
    Reduced Inequalities
    		Sustainable Cities & Communities
    		Responsible Consumption & Production
    ​Climate Action
    		Life Below Water
    Life On Land
    ​Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
    		​Partnerships For the Goals
    		​

     

     The Sustainability Teams Group is working to develop and implement Agency Sustainability Team models & policies, create employee & public engagement messaging templates, as well as the implementation of strategic business actions resulting in consolidation and reduction.