Pittsburgh
Sustainability
The University of Pittsburgh embraces its role and responsibility in helping the region showcase its sustainable initiatives and work to create a sustainable future for all residents.
Pitt is also a proud member of the Higher Education Climate Consortium (HECC). This dedicated group of Pittsburgh’s colleges and universities actively collaborate together to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to help Pittsburgh reach carbon neutrality.
In the News: Pittsburgh Sustainability
- Pittsburgh tops list of best places to move after college
- Pittsburgh Second City to Integrate UN Sustainable Development Goals
- Pittsburgh Spotlighted as Leader in Advancing Sustainable Development Goals
- From Steel City to STEM City: Why Smart Millennials Are Making Pittsburgh Home
- Pittsburgh: Leading Green Building Hub?
- Pittsburgh Recognized as Biophilic City
- Interested in keeping up to speed on Pittsburgh’s Green Story? There’s a whole site dedicated to it!
Learn More
City of Pittsburgh
Residential
- Pittsburgh Climate Action Plan v3 (2018) Commitments include:
- Carbon neutrality by 2050
- 100% Renewable Energy Supply
- 50% Energy Consumption Reduction
- 50% Water Use Reduction
- 100% Fossil Fuel Free Fleet
- 100% Diversion from Landfill
- 50% Citywide Transportation Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction
- Creating a Fossil Fuel Divestment Strategy for City of Pittsburgh Funds
- Equitable Street Tree Investment Strategy
- Food Systems – Local, Access, & Waste
- OnePGH Resilience Strategy
- Voluntary Local Review of Sustainable Development Goal Progress (2021)
Greater Pittsburgh
- Allegheny Conference’s Sustainability Principles
- CEOs for Sustainability – Over 40 regional CEOs committed to sustainability in business.
- Green Building Alliance – Positively transforming the world through the built environment to address climate change, advance human health, achieve social equity, and create thriving economies.
- Pittsburgh 2030 District – Over 500 local buildings striving towards 50% reductions in energy use, water consumption, and transportation emissions by 2030, while improving indoor air quality.
Sustainable Places to Visit in Pittsburgh
For general Pittsburgh visitor information, check out Pitt’s Visitor’s Guide to PIttsburgh.
- Phipps Botanical Gardens & Conservatory’s Center for Sustainable Landscapes is one of the greenest buildings in the world and their campus has a bevy of green things to see and do.
- Sustainable Pittsburgh Restaurants – Over 140 restaurants have been designated sustainable based on their practices regarding waste reduction, water conservation, energy efficiency, people, sourcing, and nutrition
- Frick Park Environmental Center – this Living Building & LEED Platinum Certified Building serves as Pittsburgh’s hub for environmental education
- Pittsburgh’s nearly 2,000 acres of parks, run by Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy Schenley Park
- Frick Park
- Riverview Park
- Highland Park
- Emerald View Park
- Various neighborhood parks
- Did you know 92% of Pittsburgh residents live within a 10 minute walk of a park.
- Enjoy Pittsburgh’s growing bike culture, including:
- Free events such as OpenStreetsPGH,
- Initiatives like POGOH Bike Share and Art Bike Racks, and
- Pittsburgh’s numerous bike trails.