Climate Action Evanston hosted a virtual meeting with Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss, E-Town Sunrise, Fossil Free Northwestern and over 40 community members Tuesday to inaugurate the Healthy Buildings Coalition.
The coalition will advocate for City Council to pass the Healthy Buildings Ordinance, which would require buildings over 20,000 square feet to meet three climate goals by 2050, according to a news release.
“While there are all these climate actions we can take, this is where we need to dedicate our advocacy efforts if we’re going to make a difference,” Climate Action Evanston Executive Director Jack Jordan said at the meeting.
The ordinance’s goals coincide with the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan, which calls for carbon neutrality by 2050.
Existing buildings contribute 80% of the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, with the largest buildings contributing the most, according to a city presentation.
The Healthy Buildings Ordinance is currently being drafted by city staff. The ordinance would require large buildings to increase energy efficiency, eliminate on-site emissions from energy use and consume electricity only from renewable sources by 2050.
The coalition plans to advocate for the ordinance before City Council in January, when it will come to a vote. Then, coalition members will ensure the city implements the ordinance, according to a Climate Action Evanston presentation.
“We want to get our advocacy organized so we can promote this policy that we know will do a lot to save emissions in Evanston,” Jordan said on Tuesday.
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