Release Date: Tuesday, April 5th 2011

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - Sustainability

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Overarching Sustainability: A historic commitment

Over the last 30 years, Pittsburgh has undergone an economic, environmental and quality of life transformation and diversified its regional economy demonstrating a commitment to environmental and economic sustainability.

The birthplace of ecologist Rachel Carson and the North American site of the UN 2010 World Environment Day, Pittsburgh is recognized for sustainable practices built on expertise and bolstered by public-private partnerships.

We have cleaned up our air and water, reinvested in our riverfronts, redeveloped our brownfields, set clear goals for improving the sustainability of our community and are taking action and measuring results.

Environmental Sustainability: Leading in innovation and action

In the 1950s, the Pittsburgh Smoke Control movement made Pittsburgh a national model for modern air pollution regulation.

Pittsburgh has actively redeveloped its urban core through planning, project development and funding. Our Urban Redevelopment Authority, one of the first in the US, has constructed and rehabilitated tens of thousands of homes and reclaimed thousands of acres of contaminated brownfield and riverfront sites since 1946.

In the 1990s, Pittsburgh pioneered green building, creating the Green Building Alliance (GBA), the first U.S. Green Building Council affiliate and a model for similar organizations from Cleveland to Shanghai, China.

Pittsburgh is among the top 10 US cities with LEED certified buildings, home to many LEED “firsts,”and a center of technical expertise, with 500+ local LEED accredited professionals.

On the green building forefront, Phipps Conservatorybroke ground on the Center for Sustainable Landscapes, a net-zero energy/net-zero water building/landscape project that will achieve ILBI Living Building certification and exceed LEED Platinum.

Carnegie Mellon University (Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research) and the University of Pittsburgh (Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation) are leaders in green innovation and scholarship; the Mascaro Center recently received a $2 million NSF grant to revamp the model for sustainable construction that will have national implications for LEED certification. Chatham University’s new 338-acre Eden Hall Campus is the first US campus to integrate sustainable development, learning and living.

Sustainability means greater quality of life for residents

One of Pittsburgh’s most visible commitments to sustainability and a major contributor to an improved quality of life for residents, is the redevelopment of Pittsburgh’s riverfront through the reclamation and redevelopment of brownfield sites and over $4 billion in local riverfront investment.

Since 2000, Riverlife has led the way in convening stakeholders to create Three Rivers Park – now 70% completed — a 13-mile loop of riverfront trails, parks and amenities including the rehabilitation of Point State Park, the endpoint of the Great Allegheny Passage trail which connects Pittsburgh to Washington, DC.

On-the-ground collaboration yields results
 

The Pittsburgh Climate Initiative convenes residents, businesses, government and institutions of higher learning to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by 20% below 2003 levels by 2023. In 2008, Pittsburgh’s GHG totaled 6.8 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), 3% coming from City government operations. The Green Government Task Force created The Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan, approved by Pittsburgh City Council in 2008.

Pittsburgh is one of only 18 municipalities nationwide to receive a “Milestone Five” Award from ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability for its commitment to reduce GHG and measure results.

Since adopting the Plan, significant progress has been made on 18 of the 23 recommendations, including establishing the City’s first Sustainability Coordinator and Sustainability Commission, installing bike racks in business districts, increasing recycling in City buildings and beginning the retrofit of 40,000 high sodium pressure street lights through a large-scale demonstration project involving vendors, community leaders and residents. More than $4 million in state and federal grants for energy and climate protection activities have been secured.

Allegheny County launched “Allegheny Green,” a comprehensive initiative developed by a community-based Green Action Team to: promote sustainable practices; reduce GHG emissions and energy consumption by 20% from 2008 levels by 2015; and increase fleet vehicle conversions and reduce emissions 5% annually from 2010 through 2014.

To meet the 2015 goal, the County has identified opportunities for reduction of 12,000 tons of carbon emissions per year and increased its purchase commitment to 15% renewable energy. It is on course to exceed its original target and achieve an emissions reduction of 37% below 2008 levels by 2015.

Early successes include an $8.1 million DOE grant to support: (1) energy building audits, (2) installation of energy saving features, (3) construction of an 8,400 sf green roof on the County Office Building and (4) grants to other municipalities for energy audits and efficiency upgrades. The County is converting to high-efficiency LED lights, which consume 83% less energy, at both the Allegheny County Jail ($178,000 annual cost savings) and Pittsburgh International Airport.

The City and County have jointly established the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium, an EPA “Green Power Partner,” which has purchased renewable energy saving members $1.4 million in its first two-year generation and transmission contract.

Economic Sustainability: Enhancing the local business environment

Our leadership in environmental sustainability offers growth opportunities to local businesses, including:

GBA Product Innovation Grants for gap funding to bring green building products to market. From 2007- 2009, GBA awarded $978,000 to 19 projects that developed new or revamped green building products – a 2011 RFP is anticipated;

Private sector R&D funding from Pittsburgh-based US DOE National Energy Technology Lab, home of federal fossil fuel R&D including carbon sequestration; and Collaboration through the Energy Alliance of Greater Pittsburgh, a 70-member partnership of traditional and alternative energy companies, global leaders in materials science and intelligent building technologies, researchers, and supply chain providers. The Alliance aims to grow the region’s energy industry, create and retain jobs, and attract investment across a portfolio of energy-related assets while advancing our global leadership in improving the environment. Formed in 2010, early successes include attraction and retention of energy-related companies, securing $4.9 million in federal workforce training funding for Marcellus Shale industry jobs and deployment of $2 million in state funding for energy and clean technology startups.