City of Evanston - Office of Sustainability

Office of Sustainability

CLIMATE CHANGE

Creating a Climate for Change

In October 2006, the City of Evanston unanimously voted to sign the US Mayor's Climate Protection Agreement. Signed by over 800 cities nationwide (as of fall of 2008), the agreement pledges to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 7% from the 1990 levels by 2012.

In the fall of 2007, Evanston completed a greenhouse gas emission inventory which revealed a 13% reduction in Evanston greenhouse gas emissions was needed by 2012 to meet this goal. However, this is only a short-term goal. Long term, many support the necessity of an 80% reduction from present emissions by 2050 to curb the effects of climate change.

The City of Evanston then partnered with the Network for Evanston’s Future, a local coalition of citizens’ groups, to jointly develop a climate action plan through a citizen-based process. A climate action plan outlines strategies for reducing a community's greenhouse gas emissions.

Nine taskforces were formed, each co-chaired by a City staff and two community members, to address the following focus areas: land use and transportation, energy efficiency, renewable energy, waste reduction, food, the natural environment and carbon offsets, policy and research, education and communications.

At a community meeting attended by over 130 people in November 2007, residents were invited to join one of the 9 taskforces. The taskforces spent six months researching emission reducing measures, focusing on those that would be most feasible for Evanston because of their associated emissions reductions, cost, existing resources and community priorities.

In May 2008, the recommended strategies were presented for community comment at an Earth Day event attended by over 300 people.

The Evanston Climate Action Plan (ECAP) was unanimously accepted by City Council on November 10, 2008.

RELATED DOCS

Office of Sustainability

CLIMATE CHANGE