The GreenGov Council and Penn State Sustainability are co-hosting our fifth monthly webinar series on sustainability topics. All who are interested in expanding their knowledge of sustainability initiatives are invited to participate! Our goal is to make this series a successful venture to support the Commonwealth’s progress in uplifting and delivering on sustainability initiatives. 

Schedule:

Friday, October 13, 1 p.m. — Green Procurement and Product Development — Hear a case study of Interface Carpets, one of the most sustainable corporations in the world dedicated to net positive environmental impacts and “beyond zero” carbon emissions. Learn how Penn State developed its innovative carpet procurement program to make our procurement procedures more sustainable. Featuring Lisa Conway, VP for Sustainability, Interface Carpets, and Duane Elmore, Director of Procurement, Penn State.

Friday, November 17, 1 p.m. — Reduce, Reuse, Repair — Repair Cafes — Too often our focus on materials centers on recycling. But repairing and reusing items needs to be a critical part of our thinking. The problem is too many people no longer have skills needed to mend objects. At the same time, many retirees have skills undervalued by society while at the same time becoming socially isolated with age. Enter “The Repair Cafe,” which builds intergenerational equity, empowering retirees to share repair skills with those who have items that would otherwise be thrown away. Featuring Tiffany Bregovi, coordinator of the Phoenixville Repair Cafe

Friday, January 12, 1 p.m. — Climate Change and Environmental Health — Climate change was inescapable this past summer from floods to extreme heat to choking wildfire smoke. The health impacts of these extreme events are real and growing, especially as they intersect and exacerbate chronic health conditions and socioeconomic disparities. Learn more at this webinar featuring Nate Wardle, PA Department of Health’s Climate Change and Public Health Initiatives, and Stephanie Hasanali, PA DOH Bureau of Epidemiology’s Environmental Health Program.

Friday, February 9, 1 p.m. — A Pathway to Progress: Encouraging Sustainable Behavior – Sustainable Pittsburgh — Established in 1998, Sustainable Pittsburgh is committed to building the knowledge, perspective, and ability needed to create a better tomorrow for southwestern Pennsylvania.  Navigating the path forward is easier with the right tools and resources. Sustainable Pittsburgh works with businesses, communities and organizations to take action using customized frameworks to track progress and simultaneously advance social equity, environmental stewardship, and prosperity. Examples of the frameworks include Sustainable Pennsylvania, and Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurant, Shop, and Workplace. Learn how Sustainable Pittsburgh is encouraging sustainable organizational behavior and co-creating a fundamentally equitable, resilient, healthy, and prosperous region through these recognition programs and more. Featuring Kelly Henderson, Sustainable Pittsburgh.

Friday, March 15, 1 p.m. — Pacing the Field: Sustainability Leadership and the PA Turnpike — Come learn more about innovative efforts at the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to make operations and infrastructure investments more sustainable, advancing the Commonwealth’s goals to cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce impacts. Featuring Keith Jack, Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission

Friday, April 12, 1 p.m. — Sustainable Buildings Initiative — Join the PA Department of Environmental Protection, GreenGov Council, and Penn State in learning more about the Commonwealth’s new Sustainable Buildings Initiative to help reduce the impacts of construction and operations for new buildings for the Commonwealth government. As part of this initiative, a team from Penn State has created a series of educational modules that will be publicly available to educate any builder or planner in principles around sustainable building. Featuring Esther Obonyo and John Bechtel, Penn State; Heidi Kunsch, PA Department of Environmental Protection

All webinars are free and open to all with time for Q&A. Pre-registration is required here (which also serves as a registration portal for the Commonwealth’s Sustainability Week, October 2-6).