Released: April 14, 2022
The Delaware County Office of Sustainability will host the 1st Annual Delaware County Sustainability Conference on Thursday, April 21, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Subaru Park in Chester, bringing together local and regional sustainability experts and everyday ‘sustainability heroes’ to share experiences and provide a forum for a cross-pollination of ideas related to climate change, environmental stewardship, health, and sustainability.
The conference is a vegan, zero waste, admission-free event that aims to inform and inspire attendees through the lens of six sustainability focus areas: Health and Wellness, Climate Resiliency, Natural Resources, Transportation, Energy, and Zero Waste.
Participants will enjoy a keynote address by Ruth Abbe, and nationally renowned expert on zero waste, as well as panel discussions, presentations, and plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking. The conference will also include a tour of Subaru Park and the stadium’s organic garden, an electric vehicle ‘ride and drive’ demo, a short Sustain Delco Award Ceremony, and more.
Representatives of Bryn Mawr College, Drive Electric Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Transportation, Infrastructure, and Sustainability (OTIS), the Penn State Agriculture Extension, the Pennsylvania Resources Council, the Office of Environmental Justice, the Delaware County Health Department, Conscious Connections, Inc., and members of the Chester County Planning Commission, the Montgomery County Planning Commission, and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC) will be in attendance.
Opening remarks and introductions will be provided by Delaware County Council Chair Dr. Monica Taylor, Chester City Mayor Thaddeus Kirkland, Delaware County Executive Director Howard Lazarus, Delaware County Chief Sustainability Officer Francine Locke, and Rob Fogel, Local Government Liaison from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.
The agenda, as well as detailed bios of all participants, can be viewed at delcopa.gov/sustaininfo.
Although registration for the in-person event is now full, individuals and schools are encouraged to attend virtually; the conference will be livestreamed at delcopa.gov/sustaindelco, and a recording of the conference will be available at this link shortly after the conference’s conclusion.