Evanston Aims to Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions by 20 Percent

The Evanston City Council on Monday unanimously adopted the next phase of a communitywide plan to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, aiming to achieve a 20 percent reduction by 2016 relative to 2005 baseline levels.

The newly adopted “Evanston Livability Plan” is a collaboration of the City of Evanston Office of Sustainability and Sustain Evanston, an informal network of citizens and organizations supporting a healthy, livable and sustainable Evanston. Learn more about the plan at evanstonlivability.org.

The City’s new 20 percent emissions-reduction goal builds upon the success of the Evanston Climate Action Plan, adopted by the City Council in 2008. In 2013, Evanston became one of only a handful of communities in the nation to achieve its climate action plan commitment to the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, reducing emissions by 13 percent relative to 2005 baseline levels and preventing 128,744 metric tons of pollution from entering the atmosphere.

“Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our community, Evanston has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting the environment and supporting healthy living,” said Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl. “With the adoption of our new emissions-reduction goal, Evanston continues to be a national leader in sustainability and livability, while also being a responsible resident of our planet.”

Evanston’s 20 percent emissions-reduction goal aligns with the greenhouse gas objectives laid out by the STAR Community Rating System, which aims to achieve an 80 percent reduction in emissions by 2050. In March, Evanston became only the third community in the nation to be awarded a 4-STAR Community Rating for national excellence in sustainability using the program’s self-reporting framework.

"Evanston is proving that solving climate change can save tax dollars, lower electric bills, and give our kids cleaner air and hope for a better future," said Jack Darin, Director of the Sierra Club, Illinois Chapter and Evanston resident.  "We applaud the residents, the businesses, and the City government of Evanston on reaching their initial sustainability goals, and for their commitment to continuing these efforts with the Evanston Livability Plan."

Communitywide, Evanston must reduce GHG emissions by roughly 2 percent each year for four years in order to meet the City’s emissions-reduction target. The Evanston Livability Plan outlines five major strategies to achieve that goal:

• Residential Green Power: Securing 100 percent green electricity for residents and small businesses. In April, the Evanston City Council approved a three-year contract with Homefield Energy as part of its electricity aggregation program, providing participating residents and small businesses with 100 percent renewable energy through July 2017;
• Business Green Power: Developing and implementing a green power program for medium-sized businesses;
• Building Retrofits: Improving the energy efficiency of buildings through an intensive retrofit program;
• Transportation Change: Reducing transportation emissions through system innovations and behavior change;
• City and Other Institutions: Securing commitments from all seven major Evanston employers to reduce emissions by 2 percent per year through 2016.

"The 20 percent emissions-reduction goal is both ambitious and attainable,” said Eleanor Revelle, President of Citizens’ Greener Evanston. "But achieving this new goal will depend on all of us, acting individually and collectively. We invite residents, businesses, organizations, the City and our major institutions to join with us in making Evanston ‘the most livable city in America.’”

"The adoption of the new 20 percent emissions-reduction goal will allow Evanston to build on the momentum generated from reaching its initial goal of 13 percent," said Rick Nelson, President of the Evanston Environmental Association (EEA). "People living and working in Evanston now know that together we can make such goals a reality, and this new target for emissions reduction can be the foundation for the city's next big step towards a more sustainable future."

The Evanston Livability Plan is supported by many community organizations, including Audubon Chicago Region, Citizens’ Greener Evanston, Evanston Environmental Association, Evanston Environment Board, Evanston Interreligious Sustainability Circle, Evanston Rebuilding Warehouse, Evanston Utilities Commission, League of Women Voters of Evanston, and the St. Nicholas Church Green Team.

For more information or to get involved, visit cityofevanston.org/sustainability