MORE INFORMATION COMING FALL 2021…

Thursday, JUNE 17th, 2021 5:00-7:00

Where Does Chicago’s Energy Come From? And Where Will it Come from in the Future?

Most of us have no clue where the coal, methane, and petroleum we burn actually comes from. Also, none of us knows whether Illinois has enough renewable (wind and solar) potential to replace these fossil fuels.

How can we make a plan to decarbonize our region’s energy supply if we don’t know where we are starting and where we are going?

Featured Speakers:

We are honored to host two experts to tackle these questions:

• Sameer Doshi, Attorney, Earthjustice

• Kevin Borgia, Renewable Energy Consultant

Thursday, MAY 21ST, 2021 5:00-7:00

Deep Dive on Building Performance Standards

Heating Chicago’s buildings and homes alone accounts for 25% of the City’s fossil fuel. So, it makes sense that building energy retrofits are a centerpiece of Mayor Lightfoot’s “Path to Zero Net Carbon Buildings.” Municipalities across the country have adopted Building Performance Standards (BPS’s) to accelerate building energy retrofits and Chicago should too.

But who in Chicago will lead the charge?

This intensive session will survey four different Building Performance Standards and hear unique perspectives from local leaders on who led the charge, what obstacles they had to overcome, and how long the adoption process took?

Confirmed speakers:

• Cliff Majersik, Institute for Market Transformation

• Katie Kaluzny, Illinois Green Alliance

• John Lee, Distant Lands (New York City)

• Anica Landreneau, HOK (Washington D.C.)

• Lindsey Shaw, Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (Montgomery County, MD)

thursday April 22, 2021

CFC EARth day pre-dawn bonfire pageant

Instead Thirsty Third Thursday this month please hold the early morning of Earth Day April 22nd to participate in our annual pre-dawn bonfire pageant celebrating our Mother Earth in Chicago. Event will be socially distanced and in-person!

THURSDAY MARCH 18, 2021, 5:00-7:00

should chicago adopt a stretch energy code?

Heat and power for Chicago buildings account for more than half (est. 53%) of the city’s total CO2 emissions. Stretch energy codes— codes that require higher than standard levels of building energy performance— are being adopted across the country as a core strategy to reduce carbon pollution. This session is a deep dive into stretch codes and will explore what they are, their benefits, potential barriers to adoption, and, ultimately, whether Chicago should adopt one. If you own, build, manage, or design buildings, you need to be on the ground floor of this conversation.

Thursday, February 18, 2021, 5:00-7:00

What can California teach Illinois about Municipal Aggregation?

Carbon Free Chicago’s vision assumes exponential growth in wind and solar electricity generation. Municipal aggregation (local governments procuring renewable power on behalf of their residents, businesses, and municipal accounts) is the most promising way to achieve that growth. In just 3 years, California’s Clean Power Alliance procured renewable energy for 32 municipalities and growing. This session will introduce Municipal Aggregation, showcase California’s success, and debate what Illinois can learn from CPA’s example.

Thursday, january 21, 2021, 5:00-7:00

Cultivating an ecosystem of decarb leaders

Carbon Free Chicago is a thirty-year campaign to promote the equitable transition to a carbon-free economy. To sustain change of this magnitude and speed requires a commitment to transparency, collaboration, and nurturing an “ecosystem” of decarbonization leaders.

To start this year off right- with momentum and optimism- CFC has organized a fast-paced overview of high-impact decarbonization projects and programs now underway or complete.

Thursday, December 17, 2020, 5:00-7:00

Laying the Groundwork for Chicago’s Building decarb policy

Carbon Free Chicago is honored to host a conversation with the City of Chicago’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Angela Tovar on a current project that the City has embarked on to examine building decarbonization policy best practices, conduct stakeholder engagement and initiate a working goup that will advise the City in developing a just, equity-centered building decarbonization policy that will help Chicago reduce emissions.

Come learn about Chicago’s work to date on a project that aims to inform the development of a building decarbonization policy. Angela will join Elevate Energy to present initial findings and key takeaways from research and interviews with 12 cities to identify best practices, and share the team’s next steps for stakeholder engagement and the development of an ongoing Working Group.

Click HERE to view the presentation, and click the button below to view the event recording.

Thursday, November 19, 2020, 5:00-7:00

Planning for a just trasition to Carbon neutrality

Carbon Free Chicago is honored to host a conversation with Missy Stults on Ann Arbor’s Groundbreaking Decarb Plan adopted in June 2020. Ms. Stults, Ann Arbor’s Sustainability and Innovation Manager, led the development of the A2Zero Plan.

Come learn about Ann Arbor’s quest to create a plan for how they’ll achieve a just transition to community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030. This presentation will include essential details about the plan development, plan approval, the implementation process, and lessons learned.

Thursday, October 15, 2020, 5:30-7:00

HAPPY HOUR & DISCUSSION

Bring your beverage of choice as we socialize and get caught up on what each of us has been up to.

We hope to continue discussion to move Chicago toward a carbon-free future by 2050 and from anything else you want to talk about. 

Wednesday, September 30, 2020, 1:30-2:15

GreenTown Climate Crisis | CFC Session

This session will highlight Carbon Free Chicago (CFC), a newly-launched, thirty-year campaign for the prompt and equitable decarbonization of Chicago. The campaign was launched with a clear vision of success in mind: “By sunrise on January 1, 2051 Chicagoans will no longer burn fossil fuels to heat or power our buildings, vehicles, or grid.” The campaign is organized around a Theory of Change (TOC) based on the answers to three key questions: 1) what cultural, technological, and legislative milestones must Chicago achieve on the path to Decarbonization; 2) how can decarbonization happen equitably and efficiently; and 3) how, and in what order, can these milestones be achieved as quickly as possible? Doug Farr, lead organizer of CFC, will outline the initiative’s Common Agenda, and engage panelists in a discussion around equity and these core questions.

Thursday September 17, 2020, 5:30 – 7pm

September Social Hour, THE COMMON AGENDA, and Beyond

Bring your beverage of choice as we socialize and get caught up on what each of us has been up to.

We hope to continue discussion from the COMMON AGENDA Soft Launch on August 20th and from anything else you want to talk about. 

THURSDAY August 20, 2020, 5:30-7:00

Common Agenda Launch Event

Aside from Chicago City Council declaring a Climate Emergency in February 2020, Chicago has done virtually nothing to stop burning fossil fuels.

The Common Agenda is a five-year campaign for the City of Chicago to adopt progressive building codes concerning energy efficiency and beneficial electrification of both existing and new buildings. The engine of this strategy is for the building sector (private sector and not-for-profit) to organize support for the ordinances and to work closely with City Council to develop the ordinances, with a strong emphasis on environmental justice, and get them enacted by April 22 (Earth Day) 2021.

After a nearly six-month-long hiatus, Carbon Free Chicago invites you to join us for the soft launch of The Common Agenda over Zoom—complete with social events, inspiring presentations, and group discussions.