Pennsylvania Needs a Sustainable, Inclusive Economic Development Plan
Economic development policy is environmental policy.
PennFuture & CVPA Joint Statement
Over one hundred businesses, religious organizations, community leaders, public health, elected officials, and environmental advocates from across Pennsylvania signed a letter addressed to Governor Shapiro expressing their concern that his Ten-Year Strategic Plan for Economic Development in Pennsylvania, titled “Pennsylvania Gets It Done,” fails to prioritize sustainable industries and instead doubles down on fossil fuels.
Economic development policy is environmental policy. The type and size of projects promoted by a statewide economic plan directly impact the quality of our air, water, land, and climate. The letter requests revisions to the plan that will prioritize sustainable industries and an equitable strategy to protect communities, workers, and the environment from climate change and pollution impacts.
The number of supporters on this letter demonstrates the strength and breadth of public support for eschewing the Commonwealth's dependence on fossil fuels and for prioritizing an equitable transition to an economy fueled by clean energy and energy efficiency innovation.
While the “Gets It Done” plan has many admirable components, such as broad-based investments in education, innovation, workforce development, outdoor recreation, and agriculture, when it comes to choosing the energy industries the Commonwealth will fight for, the strategy still only points to fossil fuels. As currently written, “Gets It Done” would hinder Pennsylvania's efforts to build a sustainable economy and put us behind many other states in the nation.
We urge the Governor to return to his campaign platform of forging a new path toward a clean and sustainable economy so that we can all work together to ensure Pennsylvania’s 10-year economic strategy gets it right.
### by Leigh Martinez