On November 19th, 2023 the Pittsburgh Green New Deal membership voted to form a new committee to work with a coalition of organizations, advocates, activists, and concerned residents to organize a series of strategic planning sessions to promote, integrate, improve, and advocate for climate action plans and environmental justice across the Pittsburgh region.
Over 80 people participated in the first session focused on the Allegheny County Action Plan, on January 14, from 3-5pm by Zoom.
Here is a link to a recording of the initial presentations at that session, with Spanish and ASL interpretation, by:
- Former CONNECT Chair Dr. Patricia DeMarco and CONNECT Director of Infrastructure & Resilience Eric Raabe about the Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI) model of climate action planning used by CONNECT.
- Breathe Collaborative Director Matthew Mehalik on lessons learned from the Climate Action Plan process for the City of Pittsburgh.
- Fawn Walker Montgomery, Director of the Take Action Advocacy Group on environmental justice and the critical need to support the leadership and input of BIPOC, disability, and gender justice advocates, organizations, and communities for the CAP.
- Director of Applied Research at Urbankind Institute, Jason Beery on regional power structures and County government institutions, and the Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh coalition network as a model of equitable, inclusive processes and collection of platforms to learn and build forward from to incorporate environmental justice in all community planning.
- Helen Gerhardt (Pittsburgh Green New Deal) provided a brief summary of the Allegheny County Council ordinance for a CAP to be created and presented to the County Council by the Department of Sustainability.
After the presentations, organizations, advocates, and concerned residents shared information, experience, and strategic proposals in breakout sessions and full group general discussion. Those proposals will be more thoroughly discussed at the next session. You’re invited to join future sessions to help ensure that economic, racial, disability, and migrant justice are forefronted in the CAP, as well as transparency and accountability.
Thanks to all the organizational sponsors: 350 Pittsburgh, 412 Justice, the Breathe Project, the Climate Reality Project, Communitopia, CONNECT, GASP, the Izaak Walton League, Pittsburgh Black Worker Center, the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council, Pittsburgh Green New Deal, Pittsburghers for Public Transit, Protect Elizabeth Township, Protect PT, Rail Pollution Protection Pittsburgh, Sunrise Movement Pittsburgh Chapter, Take Action Advocacy Group, Three Rivers Waterkeeper, Upstream Pittsburgh, and Women for a Healthy Environment.
- Join us at the next January 28 PGND membership meeting to hear more information about the first session and next steps. Register here to receive the Zoom link for the membership meeting.
- Please fill out this Google form to register to receive info and Zoom links for future strategy sessions.
- For more information or if your organization would like to co-sponsor this or future strategy sessions in the series, please email pghgreennewdeal@gmail.com.
- If you would be interested in helping to plan those sessions, please fill out this form.
Pittsburgh Green New Deal 