Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson is taking the city's environmental issues by the reins in his first year, deploying a variety of initiatives aimed at combating climate change and its impact on the city's vulnerable communities, the mayor's office announced earlier this week. The office released a recap of the mayor's efforts, praising his commitment to centering the needs of Chicago’s working families in environmental policies, as reported by Chicago's official city website.
Johnson, who made headlines by re-establishing the Department of Environment (DOE) which had been previously scrapped, said "our mission this first year has been to lay the groundwork for transformational change while protecting the residents of Chicago," during a year fraught with challenges including devastating flooding and increased pollution-caused illnesses. DOE Commissioner Angela Tovar is now spearheading efforts to battle environmental harm, making long-overdue progress to mitigate climate change especially in the hardest-hit areas of the city, the mayor's office said.
Under Johnson's leadership, the Cumulative Impact Assessment was released, marking an unprecedented effort to track environmental harm and provide actionable policy recommendations, aiming to ensure a just approach to climate issues.
Among initiatives rolled out by Johnson are Chicago’s first-ever citywide composting program and the creation of the Native and Pollinator Garden Registry Advisory Board, aiming to increase eco-friendly practices and foster biodiversity, Stallard, Commissioner of the Department of Streets and Sanitation said he's fully committed to the success of these green initiatives which come as a response to increased material waste and the need for nature-based solutions to climate change.
Complementing the sustainable agenda, Mayor Johnson introduced a $15 million decarbonization program for residential buildings and passed the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance to limit indoor fossil fuel emissions, spurring economic growth in the green sector. Efforts didn't stop there, as 22 local businesses and nonprofits were granted funds to bolster neighborhood resilience against climate change impact.
In a bold move, Chicago also initiated legal proceedings against six major oil and gas corporations for misleading consumers about the risks their products pose to the climate, a lawsuit that's seen as part of Johnson's aggressive stance on holding big polluters accountable. The mayor is also tapping into federal resources such as the Inflation Reduction Act to propel forward clean energy projects across the city, with support from key business and non-profit leaders, Philip B. Clement, President & CEO of World Business Chicago, commended the mayor's Earth Day efforts and emphasized the need for cross-sector collaboration.
