Delaware County is coming together Thursday, April 21, for a vegan, zero-waste, admission-free meeting of the minds conference at Subaru Park in Chester.

The county’s Office of Sustainability will host the 1st Annual Delaware County Sustainability Conference, bringing local and regional sustainability experts together for a “cross-pollination of ideas related to climate change, environmental stewardship, health, and sustainability.”

The Conference, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., aims to inform and inspire attendees as they look at health and wellness, climate resiliency, natural resources, transportation, energy, and zero waste.

Ruth Abbe, a nationally-renowned expert on zero waste, will give the keynote address. Panel discussions, presentations, and networking opportunities are also on the agenda.

The conference will 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.

Attendees include 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).

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.

Where to Watch the Conference

Registration for the in-person event is now full, but 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 the same link shortly after the conference’s conclusion.

Electric Vehicles

In a related matter, Delaware County will be purchasing 69 new electric vehicles (EVs) and 22 charging stations using two Alternative Fuel Incentive Grants totaling $600,000 from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

Twenty-nine of the vehicles will be used exclusively by Delaware County’s new health department for health care visits around the county.

This is in addition to 15 EVs and three charging stations already purchased with two 2021 AFIG grants.

That brings Delaware County’s EV fleet to 84 with 25 charging stations. Overall, the county has 300 cars, trucks, and specialty law enforcement vehicles.

“The new grant will enable the County to make a significant improvement in the percentage of sustainable no-emission EVs in the County fleet and aggressively transition away from fossil-fuel burning vehicles,” states a county release.

The EVs will displace 33,253 gallons of gasoline per year and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 178 tons per year.

The vehicle purchase is part of the county’s Sustainability and Climate Action Plan.

Find out more at the Delaware County Government website.