“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality.”
Warren Bennis
It’s fair to say most people have one primary association with the city of Pittsburgh. While steel is still an important part of the history and economy, today’s Pittsburgh is a vibrant city with a diversity of industry and a rich cultural scene. It’s also the birthplace of an impressive sustainability initiative. From the heart of Steel City, one organization is leading on climate.
Leading on climate
The Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens has been championing sustainability for years. When their welcome center was built in 2005, it was the first LEED certified building of its kind. Phipps has since integrated climate solutions into all aspects of their operations. Visitors learn about these programs, and also walk away with ideas about steps to take in their own lives. As Richard Piacentini, President and CEO of Phipps, explains: “each and every one of us must do all we can as quickly as we can.”
Spreading success
In 2019, Phipps decided to share what they have learned with other organizations. Through their Climate Toolkit, they have helped 153 other museums, zoos, and botanical gardens cut emissions and bolster sustainability. Together, these organizations have over 75 million annual visitors. By educating their visitors and respective communities, the ripple effect is enormous.
The Climate Toolkit gives guidance on several operational areas including:
- Cutting energy use and converting to renewables
- Reducing water use
- Eliminating single-use plastic and composting food waste
- Encouraging native plant use
This example highlights the fact that every organization, corporation, and individual has the power to both act and influence others on climate change. Cultural institutions are in a unique position to educate the public about climate change, and can inspire us to lighten our own environmental impact. We need more leaders like Phipps!
Let’s do something about climate change. Learn about it. Think about it. Talk about it.