A More Equitable & Just City is a More Resilient City — The 2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan
2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan Logo
A little over a week ago, on Earth Day, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced the 2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan—quick golf clap for the press team with that timing. The 162-page PDF is impressive. So is the $188 million commitment it outlines. Perhaps most impressive though, is the document’s commitment to addressing climate change through the lens of environmental justice and equity. At a time when politics feels either stagnant or tumultuous, the Climate Action Plan (CAP) offers a glimmer of progress.
Environmental Justice
It’s no secret, Chicago is a city segregated by infrastructure. Many of Chicago’s historically underserved communities already face disproportionate rates of the very challenges climate change will only exacerbate. Issues like poor air quality and higher rates of asthma, or less energy efficient buildings coupled with less access to affordable renewable energy.
The 2022 CAP specifically calls out “harmful race-based segregation, leading to underinvestment in Black neighborhoods that can be readily seen by comparing the buildings, streets, and community spaces in different Chicago neighborhoods.” And while acknowledging historically underserved communities is an important first step, it means very little if not accompanied by investment and action.
To that end, the city is committing $75 million to community and environmental justice investments, empowering local community leaders to direct the most effective change. This includes forging relationships with frontline leaders from organizations like Little Village Environmental Justice Organization (LVEJO), People for Community Recovery (PCR), and Blacks In Green (BIG). Organizations whose missions are to address the root causes of environmental justice issues, like those most affected by chronic industrial pollution, or “reinvent local economies where Black families can walk-to-work, walk-to-shop, walk-to- learn, walk-to-play.”
Equity
Empowering community leaders will only go so far if the city isn’t also ready to equip underserved neighborhoods with the means to flourish. Part of this starts with Chicago’s urban tree canopy, a lesser known, but by no means less important, factor in building resilient communities. Chicago’s citywide tree canopy average is roughly 16%. In historically underserved neighborhoods, predominantly on the South and West Sides, that figure is cut by as much as 75%.
While pleasant to look at, urban trees aren’t solely ornamental. A trees’ roots help move and manage water, helping to prevent flooding. Trees also provide vital shade and cooling during peak Chicago summer, when extreme temperatures are more frequent.
Tree Equity Data, Extreme Weather Vulnerability Data
Compare tree canopy data and indicators for extreme weather vulnerability and the role trees play in a healthy urban community is obvious. The city has committed $46 million to planting 75,000 new trees by 2026. Whether dealing with increased flooding or excessive temperatures, investing in Chicago’s tree canopy could have knock on effects for generations to come.
How soon those benefits will be realized is another question. In the meantime, investments in energy equity and affordable renewable energy could make a big difference. The city has allocated an additional $41 million to retrofit affordable housing, neighborhood anchor buildings, as well as piloting industrial rooftop solar projects to offset utility costs, “prioritized in environmental justice, frontline, and/or underserved communities that are in close proximity to the site(s).”
On paper, the 2022 Climate Action Plan shows real promise. Roughly 4.5% of the city’s 2022 fiscal budget, $188 million is no small commitment. While more funding is almost always called for in matters regarding climate preparedness, if allocated with integrity, the 2022 Chicago Climate Action Plan clearly illustrates that, in the face of a changing climate, a more equitable and just city is a more resilient city.
Now we hold the city accountable.
