City Council will vote on the Healthy Buildings Ordinance, which sets environmental standards for Evanston’s large buildings to meet by 2050, on Monday evening.
The ordinance, unanimously introduced by the council on Jan. 13, calls for buildings over 20,000 square feet to be energy efficient, eliminate on-site emissions and use only renewable energy. The same standards would apply to city-owned buildings over 10,000 square feet.
The city reported that buildings with more than 20,000 square feet are responsible for half of the city’s emissions and that the ordinance would affect around 500 of the city’s buildings.
The Healthy Buildings Ordinance is a significant step in line with the city’s Climate Action and Resilience Plan. At the last City Council meeting, Ald. Jonathan Nieuwsma (4th) said the Healthy Buildings Ordinance came in the “context of Evanston’s continuous commitment to climate action.”
“The work so far has been relatively easy and not super painful so far,” Nieuwsma said. “We’re at the point now where it is going to get a little bit harder.”
According to the city, buildings’ use of natural gas makes up about 41% of Evanston’s greenhouse gas emissions — making it the city’s leading cause of emissions. Under CARP, the city aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
The city was selected for a $10.4 million grant from the Department of Energy to aid the ordinance. At the Jan. 13 meeting, Sustainability and Resilience Manager Cara Pratt said the city estimates the grant will pay for full building audits for 100 buildings.
Evanston’s environmental advocacy groups have embraced the local efforts in light of President Donald Trump’s pullback from environmental initiatives.
“We know climate is going to be attacked at the federal level,” said Jack Jordan, executive director at Climate Action Evanston. “We know that people are going to have a lot of anxiety and despair around climate. This is a key time where we need to get organized.”
In November, Climate Action Evanston hosted a virtual meeting with Mayor Daniel Biss and other environmental organizations to launch the Healthy Buildings Coalition, designed to advocate for the Healthy Buildings Ordinance. Shortly afterward, a group of about 50 environmental activists organized in support of the proposal at Fountain Square.
The enthusiasm carried over to the council’s first introduction of the ordinance on Jan. 13. During public comment, several residents spoke out in support of the cause, including student representatives from Fossil Free Northwestern and E-Town Sunrise.
However, some stakeholders have expressed concern over the proposal.
In a letter to the city dated Jan. 13, Northwestern criticized the ordinance, writing that the policy’s “burdens fall significantly and uniquely on NU.”
During public comment at the Jan. 13 council meeting, Jon Kozlowski from the Chicagoland Apartment Association said the ordinance would cause considerable increased costs for housing providers and lead to costly rents for residents.
“This policy, in its current form, will be an accelerant for gentrification and displacement,” Kozlowski said.
Still, Jordan said activists are not worried about Monday’s vote.
“We feel confident that they will make the right decision,” Jordan said. “And I think the physical community support will demonstrate to the councilmembers, maybe to anyone who’s feeling reluctant, how important this is to the community.”
Email: [email protected]
Related Stories:
— E-Town Sunrise, Fossil Free NU rally for Healthy Buildings Ordinance, fossil fuel-free campus
— Biss, Climate Action Evanston launch Healthy Buildings Coalition to set emissions standards
— CARP Implementation Task Force prepares to issue recommendations on city’s comprehensive plan