GREEN SCENE

Local Sustainable Business Breakfast Becomes a Regional Flagship Program

by Rebecca L. Lucore

May 8, 2025

On Monday, April 28, Pittsburgh Earth Day and The Green Voice held the 10th Annual Sustainable Business Breakfast. Some things have changed over time, including the attendance which reached a new record this year of just over 200 participants, and the panel discussion which centered around the unique, volatile times we are living in as sustainability practitioners.

The Business Breakfast was hosted at the Fairmont Pittsburgh, a venue that embodies its own sustainability story. Guests were welcomed with special gifts at each table, including reusable bags and other sustainability items from Pittsburgh Earth Day sponsors. Tree Pittsburgh who next year is celebrating 20 years of growing and protecting the Urban Forest donated locally grown Chokeberry Plants for breakfast participants.

Director of the Department of Sustainability for Allegheny County, Brittany Prischak started the morning with some remarks about the County’s first-ever climate action plan and the importance of inclusivity and removing barriers to action plan participation and engagement.  

Engagement was a key theme throughout the morning, whether it was about connecting with employees, customers, or partners. Everyone agreed that you can’t make real progress or reach your goals alone - it takes collaboration and teamwork to move things forward.  In addition to engagement, and regardless of industry, sustainability discussions centered around reduced emissions, renewables, net zero, and leadership. 

Key Panelist Highlights Included:

CGI Director of Consulting Services, Tony DeLuca shared, “We have a very big focus on employee volunteerism for our partners (employees).  We have a tool on our intranet called “CGI for Good” where partners can advertise volunteer opportunities related to community partnerships, universities, high schools, etc, and other partners can sign up to volunteer at these events.”

“Covestro is proud to share that we are running fully on renewable electricity at four of our sites, including Pittsburgh, commented Covestro Advocacy and Sustainability Manager, Madeline Kennedy.  “As a materials science company, this is a big step in our overall sustainability journey.”

Carmeuse Americas Director of Human Resources, Victoria Neff emphasized, “For us, sustainability starts at the employee level. We couldn’t take on business initiatives or community projects - like river clean-ups, bat boxes, or butterfly gardens - without their involvement.”

“There is so much design work that incorporates sustainability or resiliency, but we should be asking how a building is taking care of us instead of how we are taking care of it,” said Principal at Studio St. Germain, Nathan St. Germain. “I am excited to share that we are working on a design for the first single-family home in Pennsylvania to earn a Passive House EnerPHit certification. 

Pitt Ohio’s Director of Sustainability and Business Intelligence, Justine Russo commented, “Employees and customers are key to our journey.  But so is working with other leaders or competitors in our industry.  We are proud to be sharing our scope 3 patent so that we can make our industry even stronger in sustainability.”

“Every bus and light rail ride with Pittsburgh Regional Transit means fewer cars on the road, cleaner air in our neighborhoods, and a healthier future for our region," said Ryan Warsing, Sustainability Director at Pittsburgh Regional Transit. "Diversifying our fleet with alternative fuel vehicles means even fewer emissions and healthier air for communities that need it most."

Vice President Communications and Corporate Responsibility for Duquesne Light, Christine Waller, commented, “We are focused on recognizing our customer needs and that often means investing in important community programs that help meet those needs. In addition, one of the greatest challenges we face right now is the balance between increasing energy demands, driven in large part by the proliferation of data centers to support AI, and securing an adequate supply of energy for the region.”

“At EOS, we enable our long-term institutional investor clients to be more active owners of their investments." said Emily DeMasi, Regional Team Lead at EOS, Federated Hermes Limited. “We do this by engaging companies on areas related to strategy, capital allocation and sustainability issues that promote long-term shareholder value.”

After panelists shared insights from their work, event moderator Grant Ervin who is Director of Environmental Social Governance and Innovation at S&B USA, challenged the panel with some questions about the current turbulence and headwinds they are facing. As sustainability practitioners, each had a unique perspective.  

Some key points included: 

• Keep sustainability at the core of your organization’s business strategy, especially during these volatile times.
• Pittsburgh has proven itself a resilient City, but we have left some people and neighbors behind, and we must address that to continue our resiliency.
• If we wait for opportunity when times are unsettled, we will miss important opportunities.
• Sustainability is a journey, not a destination.
• Workforce development is a critical component of resiliency, and people are not staying in Pittsburgh. This challenge calls for strategy and investment. 
• There is a need for more collaboration among industries.  

For more information on Pittsburgh Earth Day and how you can be involved, please visit here.