If you have ever wondered what this city office does, we have you covered.

The Philadelphia Office of Sustainability (OOS) is one of the many city offices that make up a vast team of public officials under Mayor Cherelle Parker. Run by a team of six people who oversee four divisions, the OOS covers climate sustainability, policy, and solutions for Philadelphia. 

The Office of Sustainability leadership team

Nidhi Krishen: Deputy Director of Climate Solutions 

Elizabeth Lankenau: Director of Sustainability

Genevieve LaMarr LeMee: Deputy Director of Environmental Justice

Katherine Leonetti: Deputy Director of Policy & Strategic Initiatives

Dominic McGraw: Program Director of Energy & Climate Solutions

Abby Sullivan: Chief Resilience Officer

What they do

The Office of Sustainability (OOS) communicates with and collaborates across several divisions to create a more resilient, climate-prepared, and energy-efficient Philadelphia. This may look like creating a flood resilience strategy with Eastwick residents, or a Municipal Energy Master Plan to reduce energy use and clean the energy supply. 

Climate Resilience Division

This division focuses on supporting community resilience when dealing with increasing climate change-related risks. In Philadelphia, common risks include flooding and extreme heat. At the time of writing, the Climate Resilience Division is updating the City’s Climate Resilience Plan by updating climate projections, assessing community vulnerability, and using those projections as guidance for resilience strategies. A public survey is also available in seven different languages to inform the new plan. 

Energy and Climate Solutions Division

The Energy and Climate Solutions Division’s main focus is on municipal energy. The team tracks spikes in the city government’s energy use; finds strategies to reduce and conserve energy through varying programs; and supports energy efficiency in building upgrades through the Building Energy Performance Program. 

The OOS released a Municipal Energy Master Plan for the Built Environment in 2017; the last update of the plan was released in February of 2023. A spokesperson from OOS told Green Philly that the Division of Energy and Climate Services is working on an update to the plan. The Division of Energy and Climate Solutions plans to release updates to the Municipal Energy Master Plan and Municipal Energy Dashboard – a platform to track energy use in the city – later this year.

Environmental Justice Division

The Environmental Justice division strives to mitigate and ameliorate environmental harm on poor and marginalized communities. The division is a “small but mighty team,” said Genevieve LaMarr LeMee, the Deputy Director of Environmental Justice. 

LaMarr LeMee said that this division has two central projects that they oversee: the Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund; and the development of an Environmental Justice Mapping Tool and Resource Hub.

The Community Resilience and Environmental Justice Fund is a grant program that supports community-based organizations on environmental justice projects, such as those that improve air quality and heat resilience, reduce energy burdens, and better prepare communities that are vulnerable to climate emergencies. 

The Environmental Justice Mapping Tool and Resource Hub is in the design phase, said LaMarr LaMee. She said that a key part of the tool will be to create an aggregated index of cumulative environmental justice burdens, allowing for a more in-depth understanding of how communities are impacted. Alongside the map, resources and solutions will also be highlighted. 

Policy and Strategic Initiatives Division

The last division under OOS is the Policy and Strategic Initiatives Division. This division handles communication, policy research and development, and grant procurement for OOS. 

How to connect with them

• Email: sustainability@phila.gov
• Phone: (215) 686-3495

Cover photo: One Parkway building, where OOS is located. Photo credit: Claudia Salvato Photography

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