In 2008, Mayor Richard M. Daley launched the Chicago Climate Action Plan (CCAP), which set 2020 targets for emissions reduction, tree planting, biking, energy efficient buildings, green roofs, electric vehicles, recycling and more. This initiative could provide the basis of a model for other large metropolitan areas in the country, especially since much effort in addressing climate change will up to mayors when federal action is so lacking.
This episode of the WBEZ program, Curious City, examines how well or even whether the city has achieved these climate change mitigation and adaptation goals. In this examination, it was seen that no one entity in the city has kept track of progress towards those CCAP goals, thus dozens of city departments, public utilities, and policy institutes, were consulted to track whatever progress had been made. The investigation observes that the city should raise the profile of these climate change efforts and do it in a comprehensive way with real information and evidence-backed assertions so that people in the city know what’s being accomplished in this comprehensive initiative.
By Monica Eng, Jessica Pupovac, and Mackenzie Crosson. WBEZ Curious City. June 2, 2019.
