We're celebrating the release of a Priority Climate Action Plan for the Chicago Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) that will help the region reduce greenhouse gas emissions and better position communities to compete for federal investments. The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency also created a Priority Climate Action Plan for Illinois.

The Metropolitan Mayors Caucus completed the Priority Climate Action Plan, and the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) collaborated on this important project by conducting a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, among other analyses.

The Priority Climate Action Plan supports equitable investment in policies, practices, and technologies that reduce emissions, create high-quality jobs, spur economic growth, and increase quality of life. The strategies in the plan are implementation-ready and were identified by stakeholders throughout the MSA. This plan is the first major deliverable through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Climate Pollution Reduction Grants Program.

CMAP will lead the creation of the next piece: a Comprehensive Climate Action Plan for the Chicago MSA. Due in June 2025, the plan will provide an overview of the region's significant greenhouse gas sources, sinks, and sectors. The plan will establish near-term and long-term emission reduction goals and provide strategies and measures that address the highest priority sectors to meet those goals.

Learn more about this work by watching a presentation from the March CMAP Board meeting, and stay tuned to this newsletter for more updates.

Greenhouse gas emissions in the Chicago MSA

As part of the priority climate action planning process, CMAP's greenhouse gas inventory found that more than half of all emissions came from industry (29 percent) and transportation (23 percent) in 2020. This is likely because of the region's longstanding role as a national manufacturing and transportation hub.

Other large emissions sources were the commercial and residential building sectors, at 23 percent and 19 percent, respectively. This is likely because of our region's northern climate — requiring both heating in the winter and cooling in the summer — and older building stock.

The last four sectors contributed the smallest percentages of emissions: energy generation (5 percent), waste (0.7 percent), agriculture (0.4 percent), and wastewater (0.1 percent).

View ON TO 2050's strategies to intensify climate mitigation.

Find other climate updates in the latest climate newsletter.