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Sustainable communities require informed government, citizens, businesses and institutions. All of them play a continued role in ensuring a high quality of life. Often though, the barriers to achieving high quality of life are written into the policies and ordinances, corporate rules and institutional by-laws. In order to change them a strong partnership between all parties is required. Nationwide, all types of organizations are implementing measures to further their own independent sustainability, and yet without strong local government leadership with an eye to sustainability, the organizations will be limited in their success. With the help of this grant, we are proposing to expand the Sustainable Pittsburgh and ‘Sustainable Jersey’ models to encompass all 2,562 municipalities in Pennsylvania.
‘Sustainable PA’ would be developed through a consensus workshop ensuring that, like Sustainable Pittsburgh and ‘Sustainable Jersey,’ the program brings something to ALL sized municipalities and encompasses all aspects of sustainability. Through the program, municipalities will become certified and able to brand themselves as a “sustainable community,” which could add economic value. Municipalities in New Jersey and Maryland are already benefiting from such a program, so why shouldn’t Pennsylvania governments have the same opportunity?
Please joins us for this webinar to learn more about the progress being made on this project and its ability to be replicated in other states.
Heather Cowley is a Regional Energy & Technology Manager at the PA Department of Environmental Protection
Jessica Sprajcar is a Land Conservation Specialist at the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Lori Braunstein is the Founder of Sustainable Cherry Hill