Quote from Carol Grayshaw on July 20, 2022, 11:47 am

ISO Examples of Municipal RFPs for Fleet Assessments for EV Development

The Abington Township EAC is in search of sample request for proposals (RFPs) for conducting a fleet use audit/full fleet assessment for EV operational deployment to guide the development of their own RFP for the township.  Please send sample RFPs to [email protected] for sharing with Abington EAC.

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on October 18, 2022, 11:03 am

PA Sustainability Summit 2022 - Recordings Now Available

The PA GreenGov Council has made the recordings from the recent Sustainability Summit publicly available on their website: https://www.dgs.pa.gov/greengov/Pages/Sustainability-Week.aspx

There is much good content here, I encourage anyone unable to attend to view the recordings as they are able.

For any questions, please email Mark Hand, Director of GreenGov Council at [email protected].

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on January 5, 2023, 2:37 pm

GreenGov News  - January 2023

A publication of the Pennsylvania GreenGov Council

Welcome to the January 2023 edition of the Pennsylvania GreenGov News! The GreenGov Council is fast approaching its four-year anniversary with the signing Executive Order 2019-01 by Governor Wolf on January 8, 2019, establishing the first-ever statewide climate goal, as well as commonwealth agency lead-by-example performance goals.

The Commonwealth has made significant progress on our lead-by-example performance goals. Over the first three years, commonwealth operations saw an aggregate 12.3 percent energy usage reduction and we initiated the largest solar procurement of its time by any state or local government entity via PA PULSE. Agencies participated in various energy savings projects, committed to constructing new high-performance green buildings, added charging stations to support electric vehicles, and procured sustainable electronics resulting in being recognized three years in a row by the Global Electronics Council EPEAT program. Learn more about these and other achievements in our annual progress reports.

Along with those milestones, agencies have been working behind the scenes to identify new ways to reduce operational carbon emissions. For example, agencies have completed four years of review and assessments using the GreenGov Agency Certification Checklist. The checklist is a first of its kind tool that measures and supports agency’s increasing their environmental sustainability within core business areas. Over 30 agencies have taken part in evaluating their performance annually using this checklist with results posted on our webpage. Agency staff have also committed their time to participate in numerous GreenGov focus group meetings to share best practices and enhance collaboration between agencies.

We’ve also been innovative when it comes to developing tools and resources based on opportunities and identified needs.  We now have a pathway for agencies to pursue high-performance leases during renegotiation or entering new facility lease contracts. GreenGov developed a simple and easy to use energy management system based off the Department of Energy’s ISO 50001 Ready program, which is available for use by anyone inside or outside the commonwealth. We have procurement opportunities for commonwealth agencies or COSTARS members to partner with small businesses to procure energy audits or ENERGY STAR building certifications. Many of these resources are available to review on our website.

The GreenGov Council has also pursued some broader sustainability themes reaching beyond its core environmental sustainability mission. GreenGov Council has collaborated with Penn State Sustainability Institute to provide education on the UN Sustainable Goals, via monthly webinars and a highly successful PA Sustainability Summit held during Sustainability Week in October this year. Commonwealth agencies are assembling agency sustainability teams as required by a recently revised management directive, which we believe will greatly enhance staff’s roles and participation in sustainability outcomes within their agencies. Enhanced sustainability efforts within agencies may lead to more comprehensive business operation strategies that support or align with Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) frameworks, utilized by many leading businesses and corporations in Pennsylvania.

Thank you for subscribing to the GreenGov News and for your continued support for our mission. In this newsletter, we are highlighting a few of the opportunities showcased during our Sustainability Week from October.

— Mark Hand, Director, GreenGov Council

Quote from Carol Grayshaw on March 20, 2023, 12:43 pm

Department of Environmental Protection Asks for Public Input as it Develops Guide to Climate Action for Environmental Justice Communities

Climate change is impacting Pennsylvanians and people all over the world, but historic and persisting inequities mean that not all Pennsylvania communities will be affected equally. Pennsylvanians who live in Environmental Justice communities in particular are disproportionately exposed to climate hazards, such as flooding and heatwaves. At the same time, they have limited access to tools to adapt to impacts and transition to cleaner energy to slow down climate change. As the climate continues to heat up, this vulnerability will deepen, unless action is taken.

DEP and its contractor, Preservation Design Partnership (PDP), along with local partners, are hosting public engagement sessions to listen to communities, discuss their climate adaptation needs, and learn what state government and others can do to assist them in becoming more sustainable and resilient in the face of climate change.

Join the Discussion in Person or Virtually

Meetings will consist of a brief primer on the scope and purpose of the project and how to find more information for all participants, followed by a facilitated discussion on climate strategies for in-person attendees. DEP invites you to attend the one nearest to you, or virtually attend any meeting that fits your schedule via Microsoft Teams Live:

• April 13, 10:30AM – Harrisburg: RSVP to attend

Meeting dates for other locations is available at the Climate Action for Environmental Justice Communities Webpage.

Share Your Views in an Online Survey

If you want to provide more detailed input, or can’t make an engagement session, visit the Climate Action for Environmental Justice Communities StoryMap to take one or more surveys to share your views on climate challenges your community is experiencing and how DEP can better meet the climate adaptation needs of Pennsylvanians in under-resourced areas. Surveys are separated by topic area and should each take 15 minutes or less to complete. Surveys will remain open through the end of April.

To learn more about climate change in Pennsylvania and what steps we can take to fight it, please see DEP’s climate change webpage.

Please contact [email protected] for questions.