Chatham University
EN-14: Participation in Public Policy

Chatham University is participating and has contributed to the development of the Climate Action Plan for the City of Pittsburgh. As members of HECC, the Higher Education Climate Consortium, the Climate Action Plan’s university sector representatives, the Chatham Office of Sustainability director and the Falk School of Sustainability Dean and professors served on the working groups that provided the policy wording and targets for different sectors, sources and scopes. We have been involved in setting the city’s climate action policies from its first stage in 2008 to its current 3.0 stage, adopted in 2017. The Climate Action Plan sets policies for reducing emissions for the City of Pittsburgh by 20% in 2023, 50% in 2030, and 80% by 2050.

The university has provided the highest level of support for CRAFT and its advocacy work, with CRAFT’s founding and start-up funding for its projects approved by the Board of Trustees in 2018. Chatham University’s Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation (CRAFT) engages in policy through support of community organizations and advocacy groups. Chatham’s Food Studies program, as well as CRAFT, are active members of the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council. The Council is the umbrella advocacy organization that works with the 130 municipalities in the region to develop food and urban agriculture policy for the regional food system. The Council also provides technical assistance, education, momentum and support on issues related to food production, food access, food distribution, health/nutrition, and urban planning. Mim Siedel, Assistant Professor of Nutrition, is the current Chairperson for the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Steering Committee. Alice Julier, Associate Professor of Food Studies, Director and Director of CRAFT, is on the Advisory Board for PFPC and provided support and feedback on the Food Action Plan, a policy focused statement about increasing economic and social support in the region. Chatham students also work with the council to develop policies. For example, in 2015, our Master of Food Studies students worked with the Council and the Department of City Planning in Pittsburgh to write and pass amendments to the urban-agriculture zoning code that allows residents to have chickens, bees, ducks, and goats. While a Chatham student, Sam Applefield did his internship with the Food Policy Council and now works there. Student Emily Toal did sponsored research for CRAFT and the Food Policy Council on the need for better policy support around commercial kitchens and mobile food purveyors.

"We Are Still In" Declaration Since its initial release on June 5, 2017, more than 2,500 leaders from America’s city halls, state houses, boardrooms and college campuses, representing more than 130 million Americans and $6.2 trillion of the U.S. economy have signed the We Are Still In declaration. Spanning red and blue regions across 50 states, its signatories demonstrate America’s enduring commitment to delivering on the promise of the Paris Agreement and America’s contribution to it. To date, ‘We Are Still In’ is the largest cross section of the American economy yet assembled in pursuit of climate action. Link: https://www.wearestillin.com/we-are-still-declaration

We are members of ISCN, International Sustainable Campuses Network, but policy work is somewhat limited in this organization at this time. With the revised Charter underway, we hope to have more access to an international platform soon.

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