University of Pittsburgh
EN-11: Inter-Campus Collaboration

The Pitt Sustainability team is active in the national or international sustainability networks below. Across the University of Pittsburgh, there are likely other collaborations not reflected on this list.

1) AASHE - Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (Advisory Council, 2020 – present; Conference Task Force, 2023)
2) Aspen Institute’s Business & Society Roundtable Network
3) Bee Campus USA, Xerces Society
4) Climate CAP Initiative
5) Human Rights Institute’s Economic & Social Rights Research Group (convened by University of Connecticut)
6) Net Impact
7) Network for Business Sustainability - Sustainability Centers Communities
8) Real Food Challenge
9) PLAN - Post Landfill Action Network
10) Second Nature (Advisory Committee for 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, 2023 – present; Presidents’ Climate Leadership Commitments 3.0 Working Group, 2022; SIMAP Commuting Working Group, 2019 – 2022)
11) Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Council
12) Sustainable Development Solutions Network, U.S. Chapter
13) Swipe out Hunger
14) Tree Campus Higher Education, Arbor Day Foundation

The Pitt Sustainability team is / was active in the regional and/or state sustainability networks below in 2021, 2022, and/or 2023. Across the University of Pittsburgh, there are undoubtedly many other collaborations not reflected on this list.

1) Bike Pittsburgh's Universities Bike & Pedestrian Committee
2) Higher Education Climate Consortium of Pittsburgh (Co-Chair, 2020– 2023; Steering Committee (2022 - present); Member, 2008- present)
3) International Living Future Institute (Pittsburgh Beacon Project Working Group)
4) Pittsburgh Council on Higher Education (Basic Needs Working Group)
5) Pittsburgh Earth Day
6) Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
7) Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
8) Sustainable Pittsburgh’s CEOs for Sustainability (Advisory Committee)
9) Sustainable Pittsburgh's Plastics Collaborative (Steering Committee)

AASHE ANNUAL CONFERENCE (9 sessions in 2021-23)

1) Implementing Coolfood at Three US Universities (2023) - The session focused on ways to reduce your food related GHG emissions and offered insights on differing experiences from 3 campuses who implemented the program (University of Pittsburgh, Harvard University, and Williams College). Campuses represented a variety of dining program sizes and operating characteristics (e.g., contracted vs. self-op), as well as to showcase different successes and challenges implementing the program.

2) Growing Your People: Advancing Sustainability Through Employee Empowerment (2023) - This session delved into the art of creating impactful programs that foster sustainability and encourage meaningful transformation within organizations by “growing” your people. The University of Pittsburgh’s professional development certificate was used as a case study to teach attendees how to design a comprehensive curriculum that equips employees with knowledge and skills to embed sustainability into their spheres of influence. SUNY ESF and Pitt’s Green Ambassador programs were provided as examples to demonstrate effective mechanisms that transcend department, disciplines, and silos to advance sustainability on campus.

3) HECC Pittsburgh’s Strategic Plan for Equitable Climate Mitigation (2023) - Pitt co-presented as part of the Higher Education Climate Consortium (HECC) of Pittsburgh, a group of colleges and universities dedicated to reducing their individual and collective climate impacts that has been convening for 15 years. In 2022, the group underwent an intentional development process for a strategic plan to establish clear objectives and strategies for accelerating regional climate action. The goals of the strategic planning process included: 1) Alignment and co-creation of actions for HECC members to reduce their climate impact; 2) Creating pathways to climate neutrality by reducing Scope 1, 2, and 3 GHG emissions; and 3) Development of a strategic plan with an intentional equity lens, understanding how individual and collaborative investment can and work for all scales of universities and the wider communities. The outcome of the 12-month planning process included guiding principles, strategies, and implementation needs for both the HECC collaborative and the individual member institutions. The final strategic plan was shared, and challenges and successes were highlighted.

4) What Greenhouse Gas Inventories Tell Us About our Carbon Goals (2023) - Decarbonizing college campuses is an important step in reducing net global emissions. This presentation explored the importance of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at universities because of their role in educating the next generation. As the first step in reducing emissions is accounting for them GHG inventories can inform decisions on where and how improvements can be made. The University of Pittsburgh has completed eight GHG inventories from the fiscal years 2008 to 2022 -- and created a 2022 Climate Action Plan the goal of net zero emissions by 2037. Although many studies have been done on GHG inventories and climate action plans at universities individually, a gap exists at the intersection of the two. Many studies look at university GHG emissions and propose potential solutions to reduce them, but none compare the GHG inventory with an established climate action plan. This presentation uses the University of Pittsburgh’s decade of emissions data and compares it with their climate action plan to see how the two have interacted in the past, how they will influence each other in the future, and ultimately determine if the University is on track to meet its carbon goals.

5) POGOH at Pitt (2022) – Summary of Pitt’s program and programming partnerships with the local nonprofit POGOH bike share program.

6) The Importance of Student Leader in Project-Based Sustainability Spaces (2021) - Attendees learned from examples shared from the University of Pittsburgh about strategies students can use to help establish their own sustainability initiatives on campus.

7) Leveraging Change Communication & Management Theories for Sustainable Employee Behavior Change (2021) - In this session participants learned about change communication and management theories to help inspire and engage your colleagues and workforce. Gained an understanding of how to foster a growth mindset, communicate effectively to promote behavior changes, and how to “grow” your people by starting with your bright spots. The session used Pitt’s sustainability engagement programming as an example of communication methods that encourage creative problem solving. “Pitt Green Suite” of programs were used to demonstrate practical skills and introductory methods anyone can use to create effective communication and engagement plans that transcend departments, disciplines, and silos. Attendees were taught how continued application of transformational management practice and change communication techniques can be used to create sustainable behavior changes, even when working remotely, engaging both in-person and virtually, and post-Covid.

8) Sustainability Dashboards: From Hopes & Dreams to Reality & Maintenance (2021) - Participants learned how to increase their program’s visibility and impact using online dashboards to share institutional progress. Pitt and UOregon delved into how dashboards help sustainability offices organize and share their work, make progress visible and exciting, encourage collaboration, and support the “campus as living lab” concept. While sustainability dashboards are fast becoming indispensable tools for advancing sustainability, there are relatively few good examples or settled best practices to guide their development. This session used two sustainability dashboards to demonstrate best practices for dashboarding considerations and deployment strategies in real-time across sustainability topics.

9) Sustainable Living and Collaborative Learning on Pitt’s Campus (2021) - Living Learning Communities (LLCs) are specialized living environments that connect students through inside- and outside-the-classroom experiences. Attendees learned about the process of creating a Sustainability Living Learning Community for both first-year and undergraduate students. Topics included the process of creating this campus opportunity and space; the importance of collaboration between students, faculty, and staff; and how sustainability can be further incorporated into on-campus living.

THE ROLE OF UNIVERSITIES IN SUSTAINABLE, JUST & INCLUSIVE CITIES (2021)

An Initiative of the International Place-Based University Network, this 2021 conference was co-presented by the University of Pittsburgh and Newcastle University (UK). The 2-day virtual conference focused on the role universities play in building sustainable, just, and inclusive cities. Sustainability-focused content included a Plenary Session on “Post Industrial Cities and the SDGs – A Framework for the Future?”
>> 2021 Conference website - https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/esc/events/international-place-based-university-network

UNIVERSITIES: HOW CAN WE TAKE A PEOPLE–CENTRED APPROACH TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PLACES? (2022)

Building on the 2021 conference, in October 2022, Pitt and Newcastle University hosted a second collaborative conference. The 2022 conference focused on the themes of sustainability, health, culture and cities and places. Plenary sessions will draw upon the role universities play in their place, looking at a range of international contexts and approaches to impact and evaluation. Sustainability-focused sessions included:
1) Sustainability - Place-based Sustainability Partnerships - Sustainability in its broadest sense is an area in which significant partnerships have developed between Higher Education Institutions and local organizations across the public, private and third sectors. In this panel debate, colleagues involved in place-based sustainability partnerships discussed key questions around their experience. What has worked and what hasn't in partnerships, what have partnerships achieved, and what might we do better or differently in partnerships with hindsight? Panel members brought different perspectives of partnership working which provided engaging insights for the audience
2) Sustainability - Place-based Sustainability Show and Tell - This session shared best practices across a variety of sustainability research areas, with a focus on collaborative place-based projects and partnerships. In this lightning round experience, each share their experiences on a specific project in a 5-minute “show and tell.”
3) Capstone Conversation - Reflection on the themes and ideas shared at the conference, including Pitt Executive Director of Sustainability, Dr. Aurora Sharrard.

>> 2022 Conference website - https://www.ncl.ac.uk/who-we-are/engagement/uop-2022/
>> 2022 Conference schedule - https://www.ncl.ac.uk/media/wwwnclacuk/whoweare/files/Conference%20Programme%20(3)%20(1).pdf

URBAN MANUFACTURING ALLIANCE (2023)

Pitt’s Center for Sustainable Business (with support from regional nonprofit organization ReImagine Appalachia) presented on Rural-Urban partnerships and how manufacturing can be leveraged to increase prosperity between the two. The conference centered around steps being taken to sustainably reinvigorate the manufacturing economy of the future.

NATIONAL BIKE SUMMIT 2022 (2 sessions)

1) Healthy Ride at Pitt: Bike Share Transportation at the University of Pittsburgh Summary of Pitt’s program and programming partnerships with the local nonprofit bike share program (formerly Healthy Ride, now POGOH).

2) Biking to Campus: How Universities are Joining Forces to Create a Grassroots Movement - The session was about the Pittsburgh University Bike/Ped Committee’s efforts to start and sustain a working group of university bike/ped staff across campuses who have joined forces to create more Bicycle Friendly Universities. The presentation also discussed Pittsburgh and Chicago’s efforts to host Bike to Campus events, an event similar to Bike to Work Day, but geared towards students, faculty, and staff at the Universities. (BikePGH, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, University of Pittsburgh, & 2 Chicago universities)

Learn more: https://bikepgh.org/2020/04/24/bikepgh-attends-first-virtual-national-bike-summit/

PITT DIVERSITY FORUM 2021 & 2022

2022: Rewiring Our Systems: Transforming the Intersections of Inequity – Included feature speaker session “After Redlining: Overcoming Unjust Impacts and Building Equitable Futures”. Read more: https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/event/after-redlining-overcoming-unjust-impacts-and-building-equitable-futures/

2021: Dismantling Oppressive Systems: Building Just Communities

1) Feature session “Combating Environmental Racism & Injustice”
Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ6ibnsuI2Y
2) Panel discussion “Environmental Justice: Building Just & Sustainable Communities.”
Recording here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKdrQMpRHoM
3) Session on “Diverse Spend at Pitt: Progress Update.” Read more:
https://www.sustainable.pitt.edu/diversity-forum-2021-sustainability-sessions/

2020: Advancing Social Justice: A Call to Action
1) Panel discussion "Environmental Justice is Social Justice: Past, Present, & Future in Southwestern Pennsylvania. View recording: https://pitt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=c6b2d734-a2c6-4d9a-bf54-ac08010a497d
2) Discussion in "Black-Owned Businesses at Pitt: Opportunity and Commitment. View recording: https://pitt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=be08f788-068c-434f-a614-ac850127919b
3) Panel discussion in "Protest to Policy: Environmental Justice, Economic Justice, Economic Equity and Community Activism". View recording: https://pitt.hosted.panopto.com/Panopto/Pages/Viewer.aspx?id=bc850c3a-1110-4750-ad15-ac0800f4bc0a

The University of Pittsburgh submitted case studies to The Campus Race To Zero Waste Case Study Competition in 2022 and 2023. The 2022 case study on Zero Waste Period and Menstrual Equity took first place in the “Education and Awareness” category of the 2022 Campus Race to Zero Waste Case Study Competition.

• 2022 Pitt Zero Waste Period CR2ZW Case Study - https://campusracetozerowaste.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-University-of-Pittsburgh-case-study.pdf
• 2023 Pitt Clean & Swap CR2ZW Case Study - https://campusracetozerowaste.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/CR2ZW-2023-Case-Study-University-of-Pittsburgh-final.pdf
• 2023 Pitt Food Recovery Heroes CR2ZW Case Study - https://campusracetozerowaste.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Case-Study-University-of-Pittsburgh_Food-Waste-final.pdf
• All CR2ZW Case Studies: https://campusracetozerowaste.org/resources/learn-from-your-peers/
• CR2ZW Case Study Competition: https://campusracetozerowaste.org/participate/categories/casestudycomp/

AASHE Advisory Council
(Member, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability, 2020 – present)

AASHE 2023 Conference Content Task Force
(Member, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability, 2022-23)

Allegheny County Executive-Elect Innamorato Transition All In Policy Committee
(Sustainability, Environmental Justice, and a Green Economy Committee, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability)

American Sustainable Business Network
(Pennsylvania Director, Lou Tierno III, Decarbonizing Middle America Program Manager, Center for Sustainable Business, 2023)

Foodprint to Wings
(Board of Directors, Christ Gassman, Senior Associate Director, Center for Sustainable Business, 2020 – present)

Higher Education Climate Consortium of Pittsburgh
(Steering Committee, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability)

International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories University Alliance Group (I2SL UAG)
(Member, Samantha Chan, Assistant Director of Sustainability, 2023 – present)

InvolveMint
(Board of Directors, Lou Tierno III, Decarbonizing Middle America Program Manager, Center for Sustainable Business, 2023)

Just Communities (formerly known as EcoDistricts)
(Member, Justin Dandoy, Director of Community Affairs, Office of Engagement and Community Affairs, 2017 - present)

NASPA Sustainability Knowledge Community
(Member, Justin Dandoy, Director of Community Affairs, Office of Engagement and Community Affairs, 2011-present)

Pittsburgh Food Policy Council
(Board Co-Chair, Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Manager, Pitt Auxiliaries, 2017- present)

ReImagine Appalachia
(Co-Chair for Manufacturing team, Lou Tierno III, Decarbonizing Middle America Program Manager, Center for Sustainable Business, 2023)

ReImagine Jobs
(Advisory Board, Chris Gassman, Senior Associate Director, Center for Sustainable Business, 2021-23)
(Advisory Board, Lou Tierno III, Decarbonizing Middle America Program Manager, Center for Sustainable Business, 2023)

Second Nature / Institutional Endowments Network 2023 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit Advisory Committee
(Member, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability, 2023 - present)

Second Nature (Advisory Committee for 2024 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, 2023 – present)
(Member, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability, 2022)

Second Nature & SIMAP Commuting Working Group
(Member, Dr. Aurora Sharrard, Executive Director of Sustainability, 2019 – 22)

Sustainable Pittsburgh, CEOs for Sustainability
(Advisory Board, Chris Gassman, Senior Associate Director, 2021 - present)

Sustainable Pittsburgh's Plastics Collaborative
(Steering Committee, Nick Goodfellow, Sustainability Manager, Pitt Auxiliaries, 2019-2022)

Tree Pittsburgh (organizer of the Pittsburgh Tree Canopy Alliance)
(Board Member, Samantha Chan, Assistant Director of Sustainability, 2023 - present)

AASHE 2020-22 MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

Through AASHE’s Mentorship Program, Pitt’s Executive Director of Sustainability (Dr. Aurora Sharrard) has had 2 official relationships during this AASHE STARS reporting term:

1) With Bo Solomon, University Sustainability Officer at Drexel University, along with several meetings with the entire Drexel Sustainability team; this collaboration continued ad-hoc into 2023.
2) With Cami Sockow, (now former) Sustainability Coordinator at Georgia Southern University; currently Climate Programs Regional Manager at Second Nature (2022)

HIGHER EDUCATION CLIMATE CONSORTIUM (OF PITTSBURGH)
Since 2007, Pittsburgh’s institutions of higher education have accepted responsibility for leading the way in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and banded together to form the Higher Education Climate Consortium (HECC) to cooperatively reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strive towards carbon neutrality. The University of Pittsburgh has always been an active HECC member, including playing both mentor and mentee roles with other organizations, depending on the area of consideration. From 2019 through 2023, Pitt renewed its co-chair role of HECC (in partnership with Duquesne University), helping officially reinvigorate both HECC and the regional mentoring network it creates. Active HECC members currently include: Carlow University, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, the Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, Penn State University’s Pittsburgh Center, and Robert Morris University, and the University of Pittsburgh. Though HECC meets quarterly, communication between HECC member universities is regular.

https://www.heccpgh.org/

PITTSBURGH 2030 DISTRICT
In 2014, the University of Pittsburgh was a founding Property Partner of the Pittsburgh 2030 District's boundary expansion Oakland (the Pittsburgh neighborhood where Pitt is located). Pitt's Pittsburgh 2030 District commitment is to work towards the international 2030 Challenge goals of 50% reductions in energy consumption, water use, and transportation emissions by the year 2030 (including carbon neutral new construction by 2030). This commitment is made alongside over 100 other property owners in the City of Pittsburgh, who work both individually and collaboratively to meet those goals, with monthly meetings available. Additionally, to track both Pitt and the entire Pittsburgh 2030 District's efforts towards achieving the 2030 goals, the University provides annual energy and water data to Pittsburgh 2030 District convener Green Building Alliance through the U.S. EPA EnergyStar Portfolio Manager tool for all Pittsburgh campus buildings. This information is aggregated and publicized in the annual Pittsburgh 2030 District progress reports.
Learn more - https://2030districts.org/pittsburgh/pittsburgh_annual_progress_reports/
https://www.go-gba.org/initiatives/pittsburgh-2030-district/

2023 Worldwide Teach-in on Climate and Justice
In partnership with Bard College and other participating educational institutes, Pitt’s Center for Sustainable Business’s Spring 2023 Pitt Sustainable Business Forum participated in the 2023 Worldwide Teach-in on Climate and Justice. During March 20 - 24, 2023, over 200 K-12 schools, colleges, universities, and greater communities across the globe participated in solutions-oriented dialogue to grow people with widespread climate despair into citizens with the agency to take action.
Learn more - https://gps.bard.edu/world-wide-teach-in-2023