1. The Greenest Region Compact 2
Ostenburg & Pedersen
Metropolitan Mayors caucus environment committee
John ostenburg, mayor, park forest &
barrett pedersen, mayor, franklin park
MARCH 14, 2016

2. Overview The foundation for GRC2 How the GRC2 is built Parts of GRC2
Greenest Region Compact 2
GRC2 Framework
Future supportive program
Please endorse the Greenest Region Compact 2
This is the outline for the presentation

3. The Foundation of the GRC2
Mayor Ostenburg starts

4. The Foundation of the GRC2
Clean Air Counts
116 Municipalities, hundreds of businesses
Coordinated local action to meet federal air quality targets
Original Greenest Region Compact (2007)
Adopted by 96 communities
Sustainability Planning is becoming more important
Ostenburg
Caucus has strong history with environmental program
Clean Air Counts – began in 1999
Very successful for many years
Demonstrated how we can all take small actions to make a measurable difference
Local actions were aligned with the regional objective – Clean Air
First GRC – strong participation
THE NEW GRC2 REPLACES CLEAN AIR COUNTS & original GRC
Talk about -
The need for mayoral leadership
Role of sustainability planning
Environmental concerns are more imperative than ever

5. GRC2 Goal
To align environmental issues, resources, and actions at the local, regional and national levels to guide municipalities to achieve greater environmental sustainability.
Ostenburg
Ok to read the goal –
Bottom line.
We have to work together and strategically.
Not enough resources to get much done without aligning efforts

6. Building the GRC2
Ostenburg

7. Building the GRC2
1. What is already underway in the region?
2. What existing programs will be helpful?
TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS -
Inventoried environmental achievements for every municipality
Ostenburg
Unique approach.
First Step in building GRC2
Asked these questions
Why start from scratch?
If 58% of us are already doing energy efficiency (with grants), - an obvious priority
Local food is hot topic – We have 103 farmer’s markets already
We tallied grants, certifications , memberships and more -
from 3rd party sources.
95 different, common measures of environmental actions
(like Tree City USA, curbside recycling programs, Clean Air Counts, etc)
Equitable evaluation across the region

8. Results – the Region is Quite Green!
Ostenburg
& Pedersen if desired
Encouraging results!
Every community is on the map
on the Caucus website
Interactive map – see your community on the computers in the room
290 communities studied (289 showed achievements)

9. Most communities are making efforts
10% are leaders
71%
Ostenburg
& Pedersen if desired
26 Leading Communities - correlates with sustainability planning
(most achievements are in Land, Energy & Sustainable Communities)
The vast majority of communities are making efforts
These will benefit most from GRC2 planning
All will benefit from working together & new resources

10. Building the GRC2 Analyzed existing sustainability plans
What is already planned?
What are common priorities?
TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS -
Analyzed existing sustainability plans
30 local plans
9 regional/national plans
1149 specific sustainability goals
Ostenburg
Second step in building GRC2
We asked two more questions
Why? To benefit from the collective wisdom of community leaders, volunteers, consultants that put these plans together
Learn from leading communities
We are comfortable calling them “consensus goals”

11. Consensus GRC2 Goals From ALL Sustainability Goals To GRC2 Goals
Ostenburg
Final step
Synthesize all the goals (1149) them to create the GRC2
Frequency of goals indicates priorities
This is potentially powerful
Our goals / consensus goals

12. Greenest Region Compact 2
Mayor Pedersen starts
Advancing sustainability in communities and the region
In three parts

13. Part 1 -The Greenest Region Compact 2
Consensus Sustainability Goals in 10 Categories
Climate
Economic Development
Energy
Land
Leadership
Please endorse the Compact!
Mobility
Municipal Operations
Sustainable Communities
Water
Waste
Pedersen
The Greenest Region Compact 2
Is just the overarching, consensus goals
It is the “pledge”
Broad statements that show we all agree –
We care about:
The environment
Quality of life
Economic vitality
Ask every mayor to support these consensus goals
Pass a resolution endorsing GRC2
(in packets, will be sent to every community)

14. Part 2 - The GRC2 Framework
Compilation of all Common Objectives, Strategies
From all plans
Aligns with regional, national, global objectives
Links to resources & existing programs
Offers steps to achieve GRC2 Goals
To use - Select suitable objectives
Can be the Framework for your own sustainability plan
Pedersen
The Framework is a very valuable tool we offer
To help you reach the goals in the Compact
It is the “operators manual”
Contains:
Detailed objectives & strategies
They align with Compact goals
Align with state, regional, national & global objectives
Offers resources (including existing programs & ideas)
Use it to create your own sustainability plan
Or update an existing one
Set your own targets
There is no tracking or reporting at this stage

15. Part 3 - GRC2 Sustainability Network
Supportive programs to realize GRC2 goals
Planned -
Guide resources to GRC2 adopters
Track achievement of specific goals
Tiered recognition program
Sustainability Network
Will leverage resources & create pathways
Pedersen
We are starting with the Compact and the Framework
Hope for broad support
As momentum grows and funds are raised,
We envision a program to:
support communities
(like Clean Air Counts was)
report our collective efforts
track & recognize our communities’ progress
To show that we are the greenest region!
We will hear about the companion Sustainability Network in a minute

16. Acknowledgements The Searle Funds at the Chicago Community Trust
Metropolitan Mayors Caucus Environment Committee
Pedersen & Ostenburg
Acknowledge Chicago Community Trust (Sarah Coulter might be present)
Environment Committee – ask them to stand and be recognized
Caucus staff – Edith Makra, Dave Bennett
Also – Elena (pronounce e-le-na) Savona (not here) & Kyle Nagel, our talented consultants from CB&I

17. And these organizations offered expertise and guidance
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency
Illinois Parks and Recreation Association
Illinois Recycling Association
Illinois Sustainable Technology Association
Illinois Indiana Sea Grant
Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
Metropolitan Planning Council
Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
Midwest Ecological Landscape Alliance
Midwest Pesticide Action Center
Morraine Valley Community College
Nicor
Openlands
Prairie State Network
Seven Generations Ahead
Sierra Club
Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County
South Metropolitan Higher Education Consortium
South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association
The Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
The Chicago Community Trust
The Power Bureau
University of Illinois, Environmental Law Department
US Conference of Mayors
US Environmental Protection Agency
US Green Building Council
Will County
360 Energy Group
Active Transportation Alliance
AECOM
Alliance for the Great Lakes
American Planning Association, Illinois Chapter
Argonne National Laboratory
Barrington Area Council of Governments
CB&I
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning
Chicago Wilderness
ComEd
Cook County
DuPage County
Elevate Energy
Energy Choices
Energy Resources Center
Engineering Enterprises, Inc
Environmental Law and Policy Center
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Grand Victoria Foundation
Huff and Huff
Illinois Association of Wastewater Agencies
Illinois Clean Energy Community Foundation
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
Illinois Department of Natural Resources
Illinois Emergency Management Agency
Pedersen & Ostenburg
Long list just to show how much effort went into the GRC2
END
Ostenburg
Introduce Bill Abolt, Vice President, Energy, AECOM
Will be designing the Sustainability Network
The Caucus was recently awarded Chicago Community Trust $ for this