Illinois Green Policy Update: June 2024 

Illinois Advances Sustainability Goals in Spring Legislative Session Last month, the Illinois General Assembly wrapped up its Spring 2024 legislative session. The big climate news from the session was the passage of the Safety and Aid for the Environment in Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Act. While CCS can be used to reduce the amount…

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20 Illinois Schools Recognized for their Sustainability Projects

Since October 2023, participating schools across Illinois have been hard at work identifying, planning, and implementing low-to-no cost sustainability projects for their schools and communities through the Illinois Green Schools Project. As the school year wraps up, we want to congratulate everyone who participated and reflect on the achievements and impact of their work.   Nearly…

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Illinois Green Policy Update: May 2024 

Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition Announces New Policy Platform By Alejandra Rodriguez, Communications Intern   Earlier this month, the Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition (ICJC) released a platform to further state policy in the energy, building, and transportation sectors and build on the progress of the nation-leading Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA).   CEJA was established to…

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Pushing Passive: Affordable Housing Forges the Way for High Performance

By: Alejandra Rodriguez, Communications Intern Highlighting many of the best practices at the intersection of green design and affordable housing, The Conservatory Apartments will be one of the largest high-performance, multi-unit residential buildings in the City of Chicago upon completion. While higher construction cost can be an impediment to building sustainable affordable housing, the development…

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Meet our Spring 2024 Communications Intern: Alejandra Rodriguez

Our Spring 2024 intern, Alejandra will be wrapping up her internship with Illinois Green Alliance in May. During her time here, she wrote about the intersection of affordable housing and sustainability, covered a city council hearing on the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance, and developed a media master list. She is a current junior at…

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Illinois Green Policy Update: April 2024 

City Council Debates Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance By Alejandra Rodriguez, Communications Intern   More than 100 clean building advocates showed up in support of the Clean and Affordable Buildings Ordinance (CABO) at an April 3 Chicago City Council hearing.  Many supporters of CABO told council members why they believe this ordinance is vital for…

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Key Takeaways: 2024 Women in Green Building Leadership Luncheon 

On April 10, Illinois Green convened nearly 200 leaders from the green building industry in Chicago to explore the theme of Fresh Perspectives and consider how we as a community can infuse new ideas and innovations into our workflow to set the groundwork for a greener future.   Our esteemed panelists led a discussion on the…

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Unlock the Future of EV Charging for Your Urban, Multi-Tenant Properties 

By: Elbert Walters III As electric vehicle (EV) rebates and incentives encourage eco-friendly transportation options, it’s critical to equip your urban, multi-tenant properties with cutting-edge EV charging solutions.  At Powering Chicago, we understand the unique challenges urban, multi-tenant communities face when it comes to EV charging. Proximity to the power source, multi-user charging needs, existing…

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Policy Brief: Stretch Codes

To comply with one of the mandates in the historic 2021 Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), Illinois has undergone the process of working with energy efficiency experts and stakeholders to develop residential and commercial stretch energy codes. As of early 2024, the drafted stretch codes are ready for state approval. Stretch codes set much more aggressive energy…

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Welcome from our 2024 Board Chair

2023 was a landmark year for Illinois Green Alliance and net zero buildings. In 2024, it is critical we seize the next opportunity to grow our impact! Last year with your help, Illinois Green Alliance’s events and programs reached over 4,000 people. We redoubled our efforts to advocate for building decarbonization policy – including pitching…

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