The City of Pittsburgh (USA) is the latest member of ICLEI’s Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement (GLCN). By joining the network the city has expressed the commitment to take an exemplary role globally in the implementation of sustainable public procurement, to act as a global and regional champion of sustainable procurement, and to collaborate with other cities in the network to exchange experiences and knowledge.
Pittsburgh, located in the state of Pennsylvania, drives sustainable procurement as a means to be a role model for climate action, local workforce development, fair and green consumption as well as circular use of resources. Through its commitment to equity and climate action, the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the responsibility for sustainable procurement to ensure that their investments are providing key public services while contributing to a better tomorrow for all.
"Pittsburgh is proud to join the cities in the GLCN as we recognize that climate justice and sustainability must be addressed locally and globally. Procurement is an investment of public money and so it's critical that it be spent in an equitable and responsible way that promotes clean energy and sustainable solutions so that our money, our investments, and our jobs are creating a better Pittsburgh and world for all." - The Honorable William Peduto, Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
Global exchange is valuable whilst operating in a different local context. Pittsburgh already got a first taste of sharing experiences and deep technical procurement insights in a recent exchange with the City of Rotterdam, GLCN member. The exchange focussed on the topic of renewable energy procurement and social return of investment, facilitated with support by the Urban Transition Alliance, a city network and knowledge-exchange hub that supports industrial legacy cities from across the globe to identify common challenges, share knowledge and develop solutions tailored to their individual sustainable transitions. Through the Alliance, Pittsburgh is embarking on efforts towards reducing 75 per cent of carbon emissions in the city administration by 2030 while seeking to generate up to 110,000 new full-time positions in the renewable energy sector. The key element of this transition is a new platform for electricity procurement to enable Pittsburgh’s buying cooperative, a group of 30 municipal agencies, to shift to renewable energy through power purchase contracts.
ICLEI USA will support Pittsburgh in the quantification of greenhouse gas emissions impacts associated with the city’s procurement and supply-chains. Working throughout Pennsylvania and the nation, ICLEI USA will share Pittsburgh’s accomplishments as an encouragement for other cities to follow Pittsburgh’s lead.
Becoming a member of the GLCN, Pittsburgh joins a select group of leading cities across the world that set ambitious, quantifiable targets and showcase achievements tackling climate change leveraging procurement as a tool.
The GLCN is a group of 16 cities committed to drive a transition to sustainable consumption and production by implementing sustainable and innovation procurement. The network is coordinated by ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability. Learn more about the GLCN here and explore Pittsburgh’s sustainable procurement profile.