Chicago Meets 40 Percent of Paris Climate Agreement Commitments

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Noticias Locales

Lawndale News Chicago's Bilingual Newspaper - Business

Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Chicago reduced its carbon emissions by 11 percent from 2005 to 2015, bringing the city to 40 percent of the way to meeting its Paris Climate Agreement goals. The Mayor’s June 7th Executive Order established the goal of reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions to levels equivalent to or greater 26-28 percent reduction from 2005 levels to 2025, the original commitment made by the Obama Administration as part of the United States’ commitment to the Paris Accord. The reduction in greenhouse gases over the past decade came while the number of jobs within the city increased by seven percent and is equivalent to shutting down a coal power plant for 14 months. This final emissions inventory report analysis, developed by AECOM, found that Chicago generated 32.7 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2015, compared to 36.9 million in 2005. The analysis focused on carbon emissions in major sectors, including stationary energy, transportation and waste, with significant reductions driven by a mix of reduced electricity consumption and the use of cleaner forms of energy. The report follows-up on the preliminary analysis from this January, which showed a 7 percent reduction in Chicago’s carbon emissions from 2010 to 2015. The preliminary and final reports can be found at www.CityofChicago.org/Emissions. The research can be found on the City of Chicago’s “Climate Change is Real” website, www.cityofchicago.org/climatechangeisreal.

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