Celebrating a Year of GBA Member Impact 

BranchPattern 
GBA Sponsor

• Published their 2024 Benchmark Study on Embodied Carbon in Industrial Real-Estate in January. The study reveals a 4% reduction in embodied carbon intensity for core and shell buildings. 
• Omaha office was spotlighted by the U.S. Green Building Council as the first LEED v5 O+M Platinum project in the US.   

Covestro
GBA Sponsor

• Achieved net-zero Scope 2 electricity emissions at four U.S. sites – including Pittsburgh – through the allocation of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs). 

Franklin Energy
GBA Sponsor

• Launching the AI Energy Forum, a roundtable that will bring together clients, partners, and providers to shape the responsible use of artificial intelligence across the energy industry. 

Berner Air Curtains
GBA Sponsor 

• Manufacturing facility expansion plan was approved by the Lawrence County Planning Commission. 

Duquesne Light Company
GBA Sponsor

• Began a collaboration with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network to identify how robotic technologies can enhance grid reliability. 
• Unveiled the new Watson Substation, designed to improve energy resiliency in severe weather conditions and meet increasing energy demand. 

EvolveEA 
GBA Sponsor

• Leading community engagement strategy for Allegheny County’s Comprehensive Action Plan design.  

Schneider Electric
GBA Sponsor

• Announced a new initiative to recruit and train U.S. military veterans, creating pathways for up to 400 technicians, including veterans, to join the workforce in customer-facing service representative roles supporting data centers, energy systems, and other mission-critical facilities. 

Cordia Energy
GBA Sponsor

• Completed a $50 million acquisition of Duquesne University’s plant distribution assets. 

Green Building Initiative
GBA Sponsor

• Released the Green Globes Journey to Net Zero tool for commercial real estate owners. 
• Unveiled the Green Globes Data Center Campus Certification. 

Volpatt Construction
GBA Sponsor

• Announced in early 2025 the diversion of over 1,620 tons of construction waste away from landfills in 2024. This amount is equivalent to the CO₂ emissions absorbed by 74,312 trees in one year.   

Allegheny College 

• Joined the Meadville 2030 District, pledging all buildings on campus to the goals of reducing energy consumption and water use. 

Allegheny County 

• The Allegheny County Climate Action Plan began its public engagement phase earlier this summer.   
• Successfully implemented the 500 in 500 Initiative, which identified 500 units of affordable housing to move over 500 unhoused individuals within 500 days. 

Allegheny County Airport Authority 

• Developed an agreement for Regional Industrial Development Corporation to manage the property and business attractions at Neighborhood 91, a manufacturing complex at Pittsburgh International Airport. 
• Expanded the new airport’s solar field, adding 4.7 megawatts of clean energy to the regional electric grid each year with the help of GBA sponsor Duquesne Light Company. 
• Partnered with The Efficiency Network (TEN) to replace over 7,000 incandescent airfield lights with LED fixtures. 
• Unveiled the new Pittsburgh International Airport, designed by fellow GBA member Gensler to improve operational efficiency and highlight the unique features of the region.

Allegheny Intermediate Unit 

• Received $750,000 in grant funding to support their educator support programs and to launch a Certified Teacher Registered Apprenticeship program. 

Braskem 

• Announced the launch of its first chemically recycled polyethylene, which will incorporate circularity into its packaging manufacturing.

Carnegie Mellon University 

• Pledged Scaife Hall of Engineering as part of the Pittsburgh 2030 District, committing to the goals of reducing energy consumption and water use in the building. 

Catalyst Connection 

• Published a report bolstering the capacity of Appalachian manufacturers to capture a portion of the market share in the AI and data center construction sectors. 

Civil & Environmental Consultants 

• Worked with the Urban Redevelopment Authority to remediate the site of a slag heap in Swisshelm Park, in preparation for its transformation into an expansion of Frick Park and a solar field. 

Common Roots 

• Pledged its office building as part of the Meadville 2030 District, committing to the goals of reducing energy consumption and water use in the building. 

Crawford Heritage Community Foundation 

• Crawford Gives Day broke its donation record, as the community donated over $1 million to local nonprofits in Crawford County. 

EIS Solar 

• Installed a 583-kW solar system  on the roof of New York Blower’s Pennsylvania manufacturing facility, which is expected to offset 100% of the facility’s annual energy usage. 

Gensler 

• Partnered with the MIT Mobility Initiative to analyze the carbon profiles of workspaces and identify strategies for reducing carbon impact of the daily commute. 

Interface 

• Began incorporating captured carbon into their carpet tile manufacturing process, at no additional cost to their customers, as part of their goal to become a carbon-negative business by 2040. 

Neighborhood Allies 

• Invested a total of $75,000 in five community organizations as part of their RISE HIGH grant program. 

Penn State Center 

• Collaborated with South West College in Northern Ireland to host their fourth annual High-Performance Building Summer Program, where students got a hands-on look at sustainable building design and operations. 

Pennsylvania Technical Assistance Program

• Announced a partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection through the RISE PA initiative to provide technical assistance to manufacturers pursuing energy efficiency measures.   

Rothschild Doyno 
Collaborative 

• Completed design of Sally’s Sanctuary women’s shelter at the City Mission, designed  with an emphasis on transformative recovery through safety, dignity, and renewal. 
• Redesigned former bakery space to become Harvest on Main Community Market, Sharpsburg’s newest neighborhood grocery store. 
• Designed Mosaic Apartments, an affordable housing development for LGBTQ+ seniors. 

University of Pittsburgh 

• Announced the launch of the Natural Gas, Renewables, and Oil Engineering program, a new undergraduate degree designed to prepare students for the evolution of the growing global energy market.