Final Draft of CONNECT's Climate Action Plan Is Complete!
The CONNECT Climate Action Plan, developed in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability, is a plan that aims to help Allegheny County’s local governments address climate change. CONNECT submitted the first draft of the plan, and presented it to the Executive Committee and the Infrastructure & Utilities Coordination Working Group, the last week of July 2021. Suggested changes from members and partners were then incorporated into a second version of the Draft Plan before Dec 9th, 2021. Final visual edits were incorporated into a third and final draft voted on and formally adopted by our members via Resolution 22-05 at CONNECT's 12th Annual Legislative Session!
Explore ways your local government can implement sustainability and climate action in your community by clicking on the Plan and a shortened version below:
CONNECT Climate Action Brief CONNECT Climate Action Plan Full
We thank everyone who provided their input throughout this process. You can still click on the comment links below to see comments from the comment period. Visit the links below to view our replies to your comments, suggested changes, and conversations from those who left feedback on the previous drafts!
2nd Draft CONNECT Climate Action Plan Brief (View Comments Here)
Recommended Climate Actions 1-Pager (View Comments Here)
2nd Draft Full Plan (Including Exec. Summary, Vulnerability Assessment, Official Inventory, and Appendices) (View Comments Here)
1st Draft Full Plan (Including Exec. Summary, Vulnerability Assessment, Official Inventory, and Appendices) (View Comments Here)
See the Results From CONNECT's Regional Climate Survey
CONNECT and its members invited anyone who resides or owns a business in Allegheny County to provide feedback on how our region can address climate change and the vulnerabilities it creates in our communities. Results informed the development of this Plan and will help our local governments plan for the future. Thank you!
Climate Action Planning
In the last few years, 7 CONNECT communities (Etna, Forest Hills, Millvale, Munhall, Sharpsburg, West Homestead, and the City of Pittsburgh) inventoried their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and developed individualized plans to guide future emissions reductions in their jurisdictions. Starting in 2020, CONNECT joined with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and ICLEI to complete a Regional GHG Inventory and Climate Action Plan that represents all CONNECT communities and will help members reach their economic and environmental sustainability goals. CONNECT has worked with utility companies on behalf of our members to compile their emissions and water data and we are drafting a CONNECT Climate Action Plan with input from many local governments and partners.
Join us at our next I&U Working Group meeting, CAP Subcommittee Meeting, or connect with us if you are interested in leading this work.
Finalized and passed Climate Action Plans within our membership:
Resources
- Watch the “Why CONNECT Acts on Climate Change” Short Video from our members!
- “What Is CONNECT CAP & How to Get Involved with Local Climate Planning” PPT Slides
- Recommended Climate Actions 1-Pager
- Regional Climate Survey Results
- Allegheny County Solar Co-op Social Media Toolkit for Governments and Organizations
- DLC Electric Vehicle & Charging Programs for Municipalities
- Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
- Sustainable Pennsylvania Community Certification: Library of Sustainable Municipal Policies and Practices
- Global Led City Network on Sustainable Procurement
- City Led Clean Infrastructure for a Stronger America
- Sustainable Development Code: Solar-Ready Construction
- NREL: Best Practices in Zoning for Solar
- Climate Mayors
- Marshall Plan for Middle America Roadmap
Stormwater
CONNECT is active in stormwater regionalization and management issues, as flooding is a perfect example of a public policy issue that cannot be solved solely at the municipal level. CONNECT partners with 3 Rivers Wet Weather, ALCOSAN, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, Allegheny County Conservation District, students from our home in the Graduate School of Public & International Affairs, and other partners to make policy recommendations. We also highlight available green infrastructure funding to municipalities.
Coordinate PA
Our second active issue in this working group is implementing PA One Call's CoordinatePA software. Has your municipality's public works ever paved a road in the spring, and in the fall, a utility company needs to rip up and re-pave it again for maintanence? Coordinate PA find opportunities for utility providers and municipalities to work together to save construction time and share costs. It is most effective when many municipalities use it, so CONNECT has made it a goal to get all of our members feeling comfortable utilizing this software.
Other Issues
Our members convene on other infrastructure & utilities issues as well. While we have the capacity to fully engage in one or two policy items per working group, other areas CONNECT keeps members up to date on include joint energy purchasing, available grants for municipal infrastructure projects, and seeing the completion of the last decade's sewer regionalization project with ALCOSAN.
Next Climate Action Plan (CAP) Subcommittee Meeting
Monday, June 27th, 2022 at 12:00-1:00pm on Zoom.
Everyone is welcome. Please register here.