Keystone Today

This week the PA GreenGov Council is hosting the first-ever Sustainability Summit; which is a virtual, free event that started on Oct. 3 and runs through the week.

The summit gathers the top sustainability experts, elected officials, agency leaders and policy makers from around Pennsylvania; a recent press release from Gov. Tom Wolf’s office said. They will have discussions, share information, view and make presentations on energy conservation and sustainability, and more. 

“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,” Wolf said in the release. “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 first day of the summit was a full-day event, starting with opening remarks by Wolf and Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources. Throughout the day, there are various talks by climate experts and officials ranging up to two hours at a time. There were six sessions overall. 

Each day throughout the rest of the week there are sessions beginning at noon. Department of General Services Acting Secretary Joe Lee, PA Department of Environmental Protection Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh, and other officials from around the state are on the agenda as part of the discussions. 

PA GreenGov Council Director Mark Hand noted that Pennsylvania has made significant progress in energy conservation and sustainability, and he spoke highly about the vision of the Sustainability Summit.

“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,” he said.

Wolf signed Executive Order 2019-01 in 2019, which created climate goals for the state, in an effort to fight climate change. Goals included reducing net greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 26% by 2025 and 80% by 2050. The GreenGov Council was created three years ago, and since then the state has reduced energy usage by 12.3%, resulting in more than $8 million saved.