Pittsburgh

1
Pittsburghs Climate Action Plan

• Progressing Pittsburghs 3rd renaissance though
  sustainability

2
Climate Change

• Climate change is a serious problem with major
  potential impacts for global and local economies,
  environments and society. By joining the
  International Council for Local Environmental
  Initiatives (ICLEI) in 2006 City leaders
  demonstrated their commitment to climate
  protection and agreed that unless coordinated
  action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas
  emissions locally, Pittsburgh will experience a
  variety of negative conditions due to temperature
  increase and extreme weather conditions such as
  higher prices and shortages of basic goods,
  increased flooding, public expenditures on relief
  and emergency efforts and a higher rate of
  infectious diseases and occurrences of
  environmentally related illnesses and deaths.

3
Mitigating Climate Change

• In an effort to create a coordinated Pittsburgh
  climate protection effort, the Pittsburgh Climate
  Action Plan was developed to present the City of
  Pittsburgh and its residents, businesses and
  higher education institutions with opportunities
  to reduce the impacts of local and global climate
  change, improve the local environment and economy
  to enhance Pittsburghs reputation as an
  environmentally progressive city.

4
Green Government Task Force

• In 2006 the City of Pittsburgh along with the
  Green Building Alliance formed a Green Government
  Task force to assist in creating a plan for
  reducing the Citys GHG emissions.
• Green Government Task Force (GGTF)
• Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl
• City Councilman, William Peduto
• PA State Senator, Jim Ferlo
• GBA Executive Director, Rebecca Flora (Now
  Michael Schiller)

5
Pittsburghs Climate Action Plan (CAP)

• CAP outlines the measures that government,
  businesses, higher education institutions and
  citizens of the City of Pittsburgh have begun and
  can continue to undertake to help mitigate the
  local effects of global climate change.
• The plan includes recommended actions that the
  municipal, community, business and higher
  education sectors of Pittsburgh are encouraged to
  adopt to achieve the Citys target of reducing
  greenhouse gas emissions to 20 lower than the
  2003 level by 2023.

6
CAP Development

• Fall 2007, A series of public meetings were held
  throughout the city of Pittsburgh to share the
  results of the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory
  with residence and garnish recommendations for
  decreasing the cities GHG emissions.

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Community Visioning

• Host
• Green Building Alliance
• Clean Air Cool Planet
• Pittsburgh Climate Initiative
• Green Government Task Force

• 2 Months.
• 8 Meetings.
• 8 Locations
• Brookline
• Downtown
• East Liberty/Highland
• Park
• Greenfield
• Mount Washington
• North Side
• South Side

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• Purpose
• To understand what Pittsburghers want to see
  their City doing to fight climate change

• To guide the future actions of individual
  community members and organizations in
  confronting climate change.
• Solicit recommendations for decreasing greenhouse
  gas (GHG) emissions
• Engage as many community groups as possible.
• Identify and create partners to lead and/or
  implement recommendations.

9
Results

• Over 300 recommendations were developed for
  consideration.
• Recommendations were translated into specific
  strategies for achieving emission reductions.
• Strategies were then categorized into short, mid
  and long term recommendation and further
  classified into the following sectors
• Municipal Climate Action Recommendations for the
  City of Pittsburgh
• Community Climate Action Recommendations
• Business Climate Action Recommendations
• Higher Education Climate Action Recommendations

10
Municipal Climate Action Recommendations

• Create a Full-Time City Sustainability
  Coordinator Position
• Form a City Sustainability Committee
• Foster Student Involvement in City Initiatives
• Institute an Environmental Behavior Change
  Program for City Employees
• Make Environmental Information Available to 311
  Response Center
• Require LEED Construction Standards for Municipal
  Buildings
• Complete Energy Audit of City-County Building and
  Implement Retrofits

• Short Term Recommendations
• 0-2 years

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Municipal Climate Action Recommendations

• Install Vending Misers on All Vending Machines in
  City-County Building
• Replace Exit Signs in City-County Building with
  Signs Lit by Light Emitting Diodes
• Broaden City Employee Recycling Program
• Adopt Green Print Software and Duplex Printing
  Practices
• Install Bike Racks at City Buildings and Create a
  Bike Program for City Employees
• Install More Bike Racks Throughout Pittsburghs
  Business Districts
• Increase Bike Rack Availability on Port Authority
  Buses

• Short Term Recommendations
• 0-2 years

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Municipal Climate Action Recommendations

• Retrofit High Pressure Sodium Streetlamps with
  More Efficient Models
• Upgrade Lighting at City Parks and Sports Fields
• Consider Installing Variable Frequency Drives at
  Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
• Procure Environmentally Preferred Products (EPP)
• Analyze Existing City of Pittsburgh Fleet
• Incorporate Alternative Vehicles and/or Zipcar
  into Vehicle Fleet

• Medium Term Recommendations
• 2-5 years

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Municipal Climate Action Recommendations

• Support Planning and Zoning Incentives
• Consider Planning and Zoning Mandates
• Create City Employee Commuter Incentive Programs

• Long Term Recommendations
• 5 years

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Existing Measures Since 2006

• EPA Change a Light Day
• City of Pittsburgh began its participation in the
  international Earth Hour event to raise awareness
  of climate change.
• Received Solar Cities America Grant to transform
  .5 of all electrical energy generation to solar
  by 2015
• Purchase Renewable Energy
• Now purchases 10 of its energy from renewable
  energy sources
• Establishment of Pittsburgh Green Up Program
• Converts vacant City-owned property into green
  spaces
• Plant Trees Throughout the City
• TreeVitalize Program has committed to plant
  20,000 by 2013
• Install Light Emitting Diode (LED) Traffic
  Signals
• Upgrade City Sports Field Lighting Fixtures
• Operate a City Recycling Program
• Institute a Computer Recycling Program
• Perform a Downtown Circulation Study

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Progress Since 2008

• Create Full-Time Sustainability Coordinator
  Position
• Responsible for coordinating efforts between
  departments, managing the Mayors Sustainable
  Committee, implementing CAP and coordinating new
  programs and collaborative efforts with community
  partners.
• Form a City Sustainability Committee
• Mayors office
• City Council
• Planning and Zoning
• Public Works
• Finance
• Sustainability Coordinator
• Energy and Utilities Manager
• Complete Energy Audit of City-County Building and
  Implement Retrofit
• Recommendations for sub basement improvements,
  streamline insulation, weatherization
• Install Vending Misers on All Vending Machines in
  City-County Building
• Savings of about 17,520 kWh per year
• Install Bike Racks at City Buildings and Create a
  Bike Program for City Employees
• Increase Bike Rack Availability on Port Authority
  Buses
• As of this month all Port Authority Buses are
  equipped with Bike Racks
• City Green Festival
• Public Transportation options added for City
  Employees

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Progress Since 2008

• Retrofit Streetlamps with LED models
• Phase 1 3,150 lights. Phase 2 37,000 lights
• Analyze Existing City of Pittsburgh Fleet
• Program to install 100 bio-diesel
• Incorporate Zipcar into City Vehicle Fleet
• Employees can opt to use Zipcar instead of a
  fleet vehicle
• Completion of 2nd version of the Mayors Green
  Guide for City Residents
• Printed on 100 post consumer recycled paper for
  distribution to residents
• Coordination with local major sports teams to
  join the Green Sports Alliance
• Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins joined as of
  August 2011
• First Annual Green Workplace Challenge
• Officially began September 14, 2011
• Support in developing operating Net Zero energy
  housing in Pittsburghs Southside
• Financial incentives for Urban Redevelopment
  Authority borrowers to include sustainable
  upgrades with home retrofits
• Instillation of Duplex printers and training
• Instillation of Bike Racks through the city and
  at the City County Building

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Programs Under Construction

• Creation of the Mayors Green Information Center
  (GIC)
• Student Design competition for the GIC
• City Employee Monthly Environmental Engagement
  Program
• City School Envirolympics
• Green Retrofit of 20 city owned buildings
• Green Arts activity for Earth Day and recycling
  magic show for City Employee families
• Tote Bag Drive to support local food banks
• Partnership with local gym for city employees
  walking or biking to work to receive shower
  privileges.
• Instillation of Recycling Bins in Public Parks
• Student Clean Air Poster Competition
• Resident Sustainability training Education
  Program
• Transformation of Connelly School to Pittsburgh
  Green Job Training Institute.
• Development of Pittsburghs Green Assets Map
• Acceptance of CAP version 2.0