800 bags of litter gone, making data centers pay, Philly parks climb the ranks & more

Catch up on the latest sustainability news:

City partners with Quebec on sustainable transit. At the 4th annual Smart and Sustainable Mobility Showcase, the City of Philadelphia partnered with the Québec Government and SEPTA to examine sustainable solutions in public transit. Topics included electric vehicles and decarbonization efforts. 6 ABC

May’s heat wave broke records. It was HOT in the Philadelphia region this week – Tuesday’s temperatures of 98° set a record for the hottest May day ever recorded. Climate change made the daily average temperatures at least twice as likely, according to Climate Central.

Love Your Park Week wraps up at Fotterall Square. Over 90 volunteers showed up to cap off Love Your Park Week at Fotterall Square in North Philadelphia. Community partners and local leaders also gathered to speak on the importance of caring for parks long-term. The annual cleanup totaled more than 1,066 volunteers with over 800 bags of litter collected and nearly 2,400 flowers planted across the city. 

Data centers required to pay for transmission upgrades. PECO is requiring data centers in Pennsylvania to pay for any upgrades to the energy transmission system when connecting to the grid. Large data centers require a significant increase in energy usage, which can put a toll on consumers. PECO is aiming to curb the burden by signing agreements with data centers to pay for their own upgrades. WHYY

Philadelphia rises to 27th spot on ParkScore Index. The Trust for Public Land ranked Philadelphia’s park system in 27th place in the 2026 ParkScore index, out of the 100 most populous U.S. cities. Cities are scored according to five categories: public park acreage, investment, amenities, access, and park space equity. Philly scored particularly high for access; 97% of Philadelphia residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park. Trust for Public Land also released an economic analysis on city parks alongside the 2026 ParkScore list, which found that city parks triple the amount of money invested in them. 

Grant funding to address water contamination. The Environmental Protection Agency announced over $39 million in grant funding to address water contamination in Pennsylvania. The Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) grant program will be available for communities, drinking water systems, and private well owners to mitigate per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water. PFAS are chemicals linked to serious health and environmental risks. 

Cover photo: Volunteers at Love Your Park Week 2026, Albert Yee for Fairmount Park Conservancy