Quigley Applauds Chicago’s Carbon Emission Reduction Progress & Role as Host of Global Summit on Climate Change

CHICAGO – Today, U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), who serves as Vice Chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), released the following statement on Chicago's continued progress in the fight against climate change:

"Today's news from Mayor Emmanuel that Chicago has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in line with its Paris Agreement-consistent goals, all while spurring job creation and growing our local economy, should be a source of pride to all Chicagoans. Climate change touches all corners of our earth and is the single greatest economic and environmental threat to both rural and urban areas alike," said Rep. Quigley. "However, major cities, like Chicago, which are home to the majority of the world's population and the source of most of the world's carbon pollution have a unique responsibility—and opportunity— to spearhead global efforts to tackle this problem. Chicago has undoubtedly proven its ability to lead on climate, and I look forward to joining the Mayor in welcoming leaders from some of the largest and most influential cities in the world to Chicago for a global summit on climate change to build on recent progress and meet the promise of a healthy, climate-resilient planet."

In June, the Mayor's office announced that it would continue to act in accordance with the principles of the Paris Agreement, despite President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw from the agreement. Chicago reduced its carbon emissions by 11 percent between 2005 to 2015, which means the city is 40 percent of the way toward meeting its 2025 goal. In addition to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions over the past decade, Chicago also grew its number of city jobs by 7 percent.

Chicago will host the leaders of cities across North America from December 4-5 as part of the fifth annual "Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy North American Climate Summit," which coincides with the 2017 C40 Cities Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards.

Last summer, Rep. Quigley organized a "Chicago Climate Change Tour" to assess local mitigation and sustainability efforts. He visited several sites throughout Chicago to explore ground level efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, including efforts in green infrastructure, urban agriculture, water quality and research, and sustainable transportation.

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