Priority Climate Action Plan Completed

On March 1, 2024, the Caucus completed the Priority Climate Action Plan (PCAP) for the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) to support eligible jurisdictions seeking funding for the implementation of Priority GHG Reduction Strategies identified by this plan. Implementation grant applications are due on April 1, 2024.

The U.S. EPA has created the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) Program to support states, large metropolitan regions, tribes, and territories in planning for potential investment in strategic climate action through the Inflation Reduction Act. The U.S EPA has supported the Caucus to lead in the development of the PCAP as a pre-requisite to funding requests from any organization within the Chicago MSA seeking implementation grants.

The U.S. EPA describes eligible applicants in the CPRG Implementation Grant General Competition Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO): “…entities eligible to apply for an implementation grant under this announcement are states, municipalities, air pollution control agencies… that seek funding to implement one or more GHG reduction measures that are included in an applicable PCAP (submitted to EPA by March 1, 2024). An applicable PCAP is one that geographically covers the entity and contains GHG reduction measures that can be implemented by the entity.”

In preparing, CPRG Implementation grant applicants should:

  1. Reference the following relevant Priority GHG Reduction Strategy or Strategies in the CPRG Implementation grant applications. See Sections 5 and 6 of the PCAP for complete information about these Priority GHG Reduction Strategies.
  2. Reference low-income and disadvantaged communities (LIDAC) that will benefit from the implementation of the proposed CPRG Implementation project using the LIDAC list here. See also PCAP Section 7 and Appendix D and E.

Note: The Priority GHG Reduction Strategies are meant to be inclusive of all strategic actions that will effectively implement the Strategy within the five-year implementation period of the grant and meet the goals of the CPRG program.

Applicants outside of the Chicago MSA may reference any Priority GHG Reduction Strategy that is included in their relevant State PCAP – Illinois PCAP,  Indiana PCAP, Wisconsin PCAP.

PCAP Background

The Caucus is the lead organization for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program for the Chicago MSA. The 2021 Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region served as the foundation for the PCAP.

The eight climate mitigation objectives identified in the Caucus’ CAP anchored the PCAP. They are:

  1. Demonstrate Leadership to Reduce Emissions.
  2. Decarbonize Energy Sources. 
  3. Optimize Building Energy.
  4. Implement Clean Energy Policies.
  5. Decarbonize Transportation.
  6. Reduce Vehicle Miles Traveled.
  7. Manage Water and Waste Sustainably.
  8. Sustain Ecosystems to Sequester Carbon.

The bolded objectives have the greatest potential to significantly reduce GHG emissions.

In the PCAP, the Caucus integrated strategies that will most effectively reduce emissions and best position the Chicago MSA to compete for CPRG investment. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) contributed greatly to the development of the PCAP.

In the long term, CMAP will lead in the development of a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) for the Chicago MSA, which is due in 2025. This plan will integrate additional components, including more precise GHG reduction measures, workforce development, and low-income and disadvantaged community benefits analyses.

Pioneering Regional Climate Plan

The Caucus led in the development of the 2021 Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region, which is the first climate action plan for the Chicago region and was only the third such regional plan in the United States at the time of its release.

The Climate Action Plan (CAP) for the Chicago Region uses regional greenhouse gas data and a regional climate risk and vulnerability assessment as the foundation. Stakeholder engagement enriched the planning process, drawing in 270 voices from 175 organizations, including representatives of 53 municipalities and counties.

The CAP sets science-based mitigation targets for greenhouse gas emissions reduction and equitable climate adaptation targets. The entire plan is rooted in equity, and consideration of cross-cutting benefits and equitable outcomes are woven throughout.

Although the plan is regional in scope, the strategies in the plan are specifically tailored for action at the municipal scale. Municipal governments are uniquely positioned to lead, enact policies, and encourage others to take action. These three roles are prominent throughout the plan because they reflect unique municipal strengths and authorities to take climate action.

Regional CAP and a Global Partnership

Work on the plan started in August 2019, when the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy (GCoM) chose the Chicago area as one of a few regions in the U.S. to demonstrate the power of regional and collaborative climate change planning. GCoM and an EU-funded program recognized the Caucus’ Greenest Region Compact (GRC) collaborative as a leading force in municipal sustainability.

For a year and a half, the Caucus worked with GCoM and experts at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to develop a regional climate plan that connected to the Greenest Region Compact and the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit’s Steps to Resilience. Specifically, the Caucus and NOAA worked to assess climate-related risks and engage stakeholders in setting targets and developing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to develop resiliency to climate change impacts. The project also drew on foundational work completed by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) to inventory greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region and assess climate risks.

Read the full Climate Action Plan or the Summary Document. You may also download the Excel spreadsheet versions of Appendix D: Mitigation Strategies or Appendix E: Adaptation Strategies, which can be used for your community’s planning purposes.

Climate change is an urgent threat facing local governments, the economy, community safety, and individual well-being. A global concern, climate change impacts will be felt at the community scale, too. Increasingly, the role of mayors has been to lead communities toward solutions that mitigate pollution from greenhouse gases (GHG) and manage risks. Municipal leaders can make decisions that reduce their community’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, 65% of Caucus members have collectively reduced CO2 emissions by 76 million pounds through simple building energy efficiency in recent years.

However, a multi-jurisdictional approach is needed for addressing the climate crisis. Regional collaboration is key because the issues that are affecting the climate, such as transportation, cross municipal boundaries and require more resources than individual communities have on their own. In addition, if one municipality reduces GHG emissions but the larger region makes no progress, climate change and its related impacts will accelerate. The same can be said at broader scales. If Chicagoland reaches net zero emissions but the state and nation take no action, the climate crisis will worsen. This plan positions us as leaders in the national effort to mitigate that crisis.

The Caucus will work with its membership, starting with its 159 GRC signatories, to undertake these common-sense strategies so that, collectively, we may address the depth and complexity of the climate crisis.

Climate Commitment

Kevin Burns, City of Geneva Mayor and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee Chairman (seated, at right), signs the Chicago Climate Charter. Eleven local mayors were invited to participate with other North American mayors in the signing ceremony. Mayors have increasingly taken on the role of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing climate risks in their communities.

Kevin Burns, City of Geneva Mayor and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee Chairman (seated, at right), signs the Chicago Climate Charter in December of 2017. Eleven local mayors were invited to participate with other North American mayors in the signing ceremony. Mayors have increasingly taken on the role of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and managing climate risks in their communities.

Climate Commitment

“The City of Geneva unanimously approved joining the Greenest Region Compact in 2017. Since that time, we have listened, learned and acted in ways both large and small to effect positive climate achievements to help make our little slice of the earth – approximately 10 square miles – more sustainable for our residents, businesses and guests alike.

The City of Geneva is all in. Our partnership with 158 other communities, representing more than 6 million people, is not about passing judgment on those who have not yet joined us…but passing along ideas, opportunities and solutions that reflect the urgency of ‘doing something’ with the recognition that even the smallest step forward is a step in the right direction.

My role as Mayor is part time…but my commitment to the issue of climate change is anything but. I am honored to join my colleagues throughout Chicagoland in addressing, advancing and achieving sound environmental gains under the flagship banner which reads, ‘That which is necessary, is never a risk.’ Our work is necessary. Geneva and the communities who are part of the Greenest Region Compact do not seek accolades, applause or even affirmation. We seek solutions to climate change and the disruptions it produces in virtually every aspect of our lives.”

– Kevin Burns, City of Geneva Mayor and Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee and Energy Subcommittee Chairman

Stakeholder Engagement and Past Meeting Materials

Groups work on a regional climate planning activity at a Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee meeting in October of 2019.

Mayors and municipal leaders work on a group activity at the regional climate planning kickoff meeting of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee in October of 2019.

Regional Climate Plan Workshops

When starting to create the Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region, the Caucus kicked off the regional climate planning process with an Environment Committee meeting in October of 2019. During the daylong event, mayors and key municipal leaders worked to prioritize GRC goals and strategies for their climate impacts.  Participants also analyzed GRC strategies to determine which could be tackled by local governments and which require regional collaboration. The materials from the kickoff meeting in October can be found here, as well as on the Environment Committee page:

Two other workshops on regional climate planning were held in December and January.

Climate Adaptation Webinars

Another round of four webinars focused on climate-related risks and adaptation strategies. Please view the below details and materials from the past webinar series:

A Chicago Regional Climate Plan – Overview and Adaptation Introduction
May 22, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
This session recapped the Regional and Metro-Scale Climate Leaders project, the role of MMC and CMAP, and the objectives of the regional climate planning project. Experts from NOAA introduced attendees to the US Climate Resilience Toolkit and Steps to Resilience. Mayors discussed impacts on our communities.

Climate Impacts & Hazards
May 29, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Climate scientists from Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Illinois presented information on climate trends, models and the impacts of extreme weather events on our region. Experts from NOAA guided attendees through the first Step to Resilience by exploring these hazards.

Climate Risk and Vulnerability at the Nexus of Equity, Health, Public Works, and Planning
June 5, 2020, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
A panel of local experts and leaders discussed our region’s climate-related risks from flooding, and extreme temperatures, and the damage they cause. They discussed impacts on public health, infrastructure, operations and the economy. NOAA helped us assess these vulnerabilities and risks.

Regional Climate Adaptation Planning & Prioritization Virtual Workshop
June 12, 2020, 1:00 – 3:00 pm
This last webinar engaged all participants in exercises to prioritize and plan adaptation strategies that address our greatest threats and protect our communities and our region. The strategies build on the Greenest Region Compact (GRC) and utilize NOAA’s Steps to Resilience.

Launch Event Held for Climate Action Plan

A launch event for the 2021 Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region was held on July 13. View the event agenda, recording or speaker information. The event was co-hosted by the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC).

Climate Communications

In preparation for the upcoming release of the 2021 Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region, the Caucus Environment Committee hosted a meeting in April 2021 to learn about climate communication. The meeting aimed to answer the question, “How can local leaders effectively communicate with their constituents and peers about climate and climate action?”

Resources from the meeting can be found below and at the Environment Committee webpage:

Meeting Invitation, Meeting Agenda, Recording

Presentation slides:

Resources from ecoAmerica:

Plan Awards

Climate Action Plan Awards

The Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region has received five awards:

  • October 2021 – The Climate Action Plan and organizations that helped create it received the 2021 Climate Leadership Award Innovative Partnerships Certificate. The Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry (TCR), in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and America is All In, presented the award virtually to the Plan’s co-authors, the Caucus and NOAA, as well as the Plan’s other collaborators: Argonne National Laboratory; CMAP; the European Union; GCoM; the University of Illinois at Chicago, School of Public Health; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Center for Urban Resilience and Environmental Sustainability (CURES); and the U.S. Climate Resilience Toolkit team. The award was given for collaborating to address the lack of guidance for small communities by tackling climate action planning at the regional scale, for engaging 270 stakeholders in the process, for creating the first regional CAP for the Chicago region and the third in the nation, and for sharing knowledge about regional climate planning with other regions around the world.
  • May 2022 – The national APA Sustainable Communities Division honored the Caucus and NOAA at its ninth annual Awards for Excellence in Sustainability with the Merit Award in the State or Regional category. The award recognizes efforts to plan for sustainability and resilience at a state or regional scale.
  • September 2022 – The Illinois chapter of the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) honored the Caucus with a Public Recognition Award at an award ceremony in Chicago. The Illinois ASLA granted the award to the Caucus for its Climate Action Plan (CAP) because it noted, “Thriving, high-performing public and private landscapes are central to the climate adaptation objectives and strategies.” The Caucus engaged landscape architects in the plan creation through the stakeholder engagement process. Additionally, the Illinois ASLA stated that the high-profile Climate Action Plan, created and used by numerous stakeholders, has heightened public appreciation of landscape-related issues.
  • Also in September 2022 – The American Planning Association Illinois Chapter (APA-IL) announced that the Caucus won the Strategic Plan Award for its Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region. The APA-IL chose the Caucus’ Plan for the award because, “The Climate Action Plan’s multi-agency approach to the process illustrates how planners can partner with science-based knowledge to create a plan for resiliency. The process, metrics and outcomes can serve as a model for communities.”
  • February 2023 – The Chicago Region Trees Initiative (CRTI) presented the Caucus with a CRTI Urban Forestry Partnership Award, which recognizes when organizations work collaboratively to solve a forestry problem. Some of the forestry-related strategies in the Caucus’ CAP include that local governments should plant trees and sustain the urban forest, promote citizen tree stewardship, and encourage property owners to install and maintain sustainable, native landscapes.

Media Coverage

Climate Action Plan Media Coverage

News stories about the Climate Action Plan and/or launch event on July 13, 2021, can be viewed below:

To view past Caucus news posts on the topic, please see the below links:

History

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus communities began to shift their focus from general sustainability to climate change after a Mayors Climate Forum that was held in August of 2017. The forum educated Caucus members on the community impacts of climate events, connected local governments and pointed out that mayors have often become vital leaders in effective global climate action.

Mayors, municipal staff, and environmental leaders listen to opening remarks from the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment and Energy Committee Chairman, Mayor Ostenburg of Park Forest.

Mayors, municipal staff, and environmental leaders listen to opening remarks from the former Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment and Energy Committee Chairman and former Mayor John Ostenburg of Park Forest. He spoke at the Mayors Climate Forum in August of 2017.

At the Mayors Climate Forum, the following panelists provided presentations on climate change that can be viewed below:

  • Mayor Ostenburg, Village of Park Forest, former Environment and Energy Committee Chairman, Opening Presentation & Closing Presentation
  • Tom Skilling, Chief Meteorologist, WGN-TV, Presentation, Video
  • Seth Darling, Director, Institute for Molecular Engineering, Argonne National Laboratory, Presentation
  • Doug Sisterson, Research Meteorologist, ARM Climate Research Facility, Argonne National Laboratory, Presentation, Video
  • Chris Wheat, former Chief Sustainability Officer, City of Chicago, Presentation
  • Bob Perkowitz, President, ecoAmerica, Presentation

See the full Mayors Climate Forum Agenda

Many mayors also supported the Chicago Climate Charter at the North American Climate Summit, which was held in Chicago in late 2017. Additionally, the Mayors Caucus led a delegation to participate in the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco in 2018. In 2020, the Mayors Caucus Environment Committee Chairman and City of Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns joined the Leadership Circle of ecoAmerica’s Path to Positive Communities, which is a national network for local climate leaders who are working toward climate solutions. In July of 2020, he was a guest on ecoAmerica’s “Let’s Talk Climate” webcast and discussed how to move communities to inclusive climate action. View the recording of the episode here.

Join Us

Many cities around the world may pledge to take bold actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In our region, 159 communities and all of the councils of government have already adopted the consensus sustainability goals of the Greenest Region Compact (GRC), which is the largest regional collaborative of municipalities working toward sustainability in the United States. The GRC is our foundational sustainability pledge. It offers a solid framework for meaningful climate action, is suited to communities of all sizes and strengths, and also focuses on improving the quality of life for residents in the region. Adopt the GRC through municipal resolution and report your community’s adoption to the Caucus.

The Caucus also asks municipalities to lend their support to the Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region by considering this resolution at an upcoming City/Village Board meeting. The resolution is a simple recitation of the core goals and objectives of the Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Region. Following the vote, please share with us a signed copy of the resolution for purposes of creating true regional cooperation, collaboration and momentum. See the full list of communities that have supported the Climate Action Plan by resolution.