Mayor Emanuel today joined over 200 mayors from across the United States to express support for the Clean Power Plan (CPP) – an essential public health protection and climate change solution that sets the first ever federal limits on carbon pollution from power plants and helps cities transition to a clean energy economy. The Trump Administration is trying to repeal the CPP in spite of support from mayors, state leaders and businesses.

"From closing coal plants, to investing in electric vehicles and public transportation, to reducing electricity usage in our buildings, to updating streetlights across the city, to joining global leaders to sign the Chicago Climate Charter, Chicago is showcasing the impact that cities can have on climate change for their residents and for people around the world,” said Mayor Emanuel. “As the Trump administration fails yet again to provide certainty and support for local government and business by keeping the Clean Power Plan intact, I am proud to stand together with leaders from across the country to take decisive action to improve our environment while strengthening our communities.”

In a letter, 233 mayors from 46 states and territories strongly opposed efforts by the Trump administration and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt to dismantle the Clean Power Plan, as it would have devastating health and economic impacts on their communities, including exposing Americans to increased air pollution, worsening climate change, and stronger and more destructive extreme weather events.

A Trump administration analysis found that the Clean Power Plan could prevent as many as 4,500 premature deaths each year by 2030 – an estimate higher than even previous EPA projections. The Clean Power Plan would also accelerate the transition to clean energy that is already underway.
Clean energy jobs have seen incredible growth in recent years, with solar and wind jobs growing at a rate 12 times faster than the rest of the U.S. economy. Cities are on the front line of climate change, with more than 200 cities pursuing ambitious plans to cut carbon pollution, spark innovation, and build a clean, safe, and secure future for their residents.

Under Mayor Emanuel’s leadership, Chicago has enacted strong environmental protections and taken significant steps towards tackling climate change that demonstrate sustainability and economic growth go hand in hand. Recently Mayor Emanuel announced that Chicago has reduced its carbon emissions by eleven percent from 2005 to 2015, bringing the city to forty percent of the way to meeting its Paris Agreement goals. The Mayor's June 7 Executive Order established the goal of reducing citywide greenhouse gas emissions to levels equivalent to or greater than a 26-28 percent reduction from 2005 levels to 2025, the original commitment made by the Obama Administration as part of the United States’ commitment to the Paris Agreement. The reduction in greenhouse gases over the past decade came while the number of jobs within the city increased by seven percent and is equivalent to shutting down a coal power plant for fourteen months.

The full letter can be found here: http://climatemayors.org/actions/clean-power-plan.

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