Climate & Natural ResourcesOverview

Climate change is causing more frequent and severe weather, extreme heat, drought, and flooding in northeastern Illinois. The impacts on people, infrastructure, the environment, and the economy are severe, disproportionately impact historically disinvested communities, and could increase in the future.

Creating resilient and livable communities requires reducing emissions and re-envisioning how infrastructure is built and maintained to reflect a changing climate. The clean energy transition is already underway, and recently expanded federal funding will give the region a boost in reaching emission reduction goals. Similarly, federal support to improve water quality, conserve water supplies, and maintain water infrastructure as well as update the region’s transportation system, can help ensure that the infrastructure built today can withstand tomorrow’s storms.

ON TO 2050, the region’s long-range plan, reflects northeastern Illinois’ goals to prepare for climate change, with an integrated approach to water resources and development practices that protect natural resources.