News Updates

Regional climate plan moves to action

Climate consequences are already here. Local and regional governments have the power to act. Up next: The Century Plan.

“Together, we built the first comprehensive climate action plan for the greater Chicago region — spanning 13 counties and 3 states. It gives us something we didn’t have before: a clear, data-driven roadmap to cut emissions from every major source. It gives us one more thing: a call to action.” 

At a recent celebratory event to mark the completion of the Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago, CMAP’s Executive Director Erin Aleman emphasized how strong regional alignment will position the region not just to respond to climate change — but to lead the transition. 

The event was part of the Catalyst Series of conversations and convenings that are shaping The Century Plan — the region’s long-term vision for a better, stronger future for northeastern Illinois. CMAP is hosting gatherings like this to celebrate our successes and bring together leaders from government, business, civic, and philanthropic sectors to align around implementation and regional coordination.

Aleman thanked the crowd of more than 150 people, many of whom lent their voices and expertise in developing the plan and will be vital in its implementation. 

Adding, “This plan is just the first step. Now, it’s all about action.”

The Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago is an ambitious — yet practical — roadmap created through a partnership of the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP), the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus, and the Northwestern Indiana Regional Planning Commission.

Climate change is a defining regional challenge and and one that requires coordinated action.

Regional partners and stakeholders came together to celebrate the climate action plan and build momentum for taking action together.

Strategies for local governments

The climate action plan charts a path to reduce regional emissions 86 percent by 2050. State and local action alone can drive more than half of the emissions reductions needed. The plan takes into account the region’s economy, infrastructure, and specific community conditions offering more than 70 strategies that local governments, utilities, and community organizations can advance to cut emissions. 

Clean and reliable electricity underpins nearly every major strategy in the plan, making grid readiness and coordination across sectors essential.

Improving building efficiency, switching to clean electric heat, and expanding clean transportation options are among six core actions the plan identifies to achieve its goals.

Those efforts deliver tangible benefits. Reducing greenhouse gases improves public health, strengthens the economy, and builds on measurable progress — emissions in the greater Chicago region have already fallen 20 percent since 2005.

The plan underscores that the consequences of climate inaction are already straining the region’s infrastructure, damaging homes and businesses, and increasing insurance and energy costs. Those consequences also threaten human health and economic stability.

At the same time, the global economy is rapidly shifting toward clean energy — creating investment, innovation, and high-quality jobs for regions that move decisively.

Coordinated action is key

“Local governments are the new face of leadership on climate change,” Lynwood Mayor Jada D. Curry told the group at the April event, held at the Old Post Office in Chicago. She said, “So get ready.“

Two-thirds of the actions needed to meet the plan’s goals are within the influence of state and local leaders.

Cleaner air, healthier communities, energy cost savings, and economic opportunities won’t happen automatically. Meaningful climate action will require transforming core systems, making ambitious changes, and coordinating across jurisdictions. Regional partnership will be critical to addressing the root causes, which don’t stop at borders.

Geneva Mayor Kevin Burns, Chairman of the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee, invoked the spirit of President John F. Kennedy’s rousing 1962 speech on space exploration to stoke commitment to the climate action plan, “not because it is easy, but because it is hard.”

He pointed to enthusiasm and momentum as “the cleanest and most renewable forms of energy” that won’t be found on the periodic table.

“Together, they form an unbreakable union,” Burns said, “but one without the other falls short in delivering such strength, such stability, agility, resilience and performance. And because the bond formed is unrelenting, enthusiasm and momentum have always been and always will be human nature’s quintessential building blocks for anything and everything we strive to accomplish.”

Thank you to our sponsors

Solving for tomorrow, today

CMAP’s recently published Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for Greater Chicago will inform The Century Plan — a long-term vision for a better, stronger future for northeastern Illinois.

Building on this strong roadmap to reduce emissions, improve public health, and strengthen the economy, The Century Plan will prioritize what our region needs to thrive by 2060 and beyond and define what we must do together to achieve our vision. 

The goal of The Century Plan is to build consensus for transformative change and secure bold commitments for coordinated action — around climate change and other emergent issues. This shared, overarching vision for northeastern Illinois that will guide policies for transportation, the environment, and the economy for decades into the future. Throughout 2026 and 2027, CMAP is bringing together regional decision-makers and action-takers from government, civic, business, and community organizations to think big about the challenges and opportunities facing northeastern Illinois. Together, we’ll set a path for systems that support transportation, the economy, and the environment — with priorities defined by the region, for the region. The journey is just beginning, and we invite you to join the ride!