How is climate change affecting Illinois?
Climate change is already fueling an increase in extreme weather events that cost our state billions, harming people across the state and disrupting our economy from farmlands to manufacturing sites. Illinoisans still remember historic flooding that took place in 2019 which impacted 34 counties across Illinois and resulted in an estimated $6.2 billion in damage across the Midwest. Unfortunately, we can expect to see more extreme events like heat waves, storms, and tornados if climate change continues unabated.
And our concerns don¡¯t end with extreme weather events. Illinois sits on the Great Lakes, the largest source of freshwater in the world. Illinois received $160 million in federal funding last year alongside six other Great Lakes states to support keeping the Great Lakes a clean and healthy source of water through innovative restoration solutions and by supporting workforce development programs. It¡¯s a strong start¡ªbut we need to keep up the fight.
What action are you taking to address climate change?
In 2021, I signed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA), a landmark piece of legislation designed to build Illinois¡¯ clean energy economy through statewide training programs, community energy funds, energy storage initiatives and much more. CEJA requires Illinois to achieve 100 per cent carbon-free power by 2045. The act also invested in increasing access to electric vehicles (EV) in Illinois through rebates and an expanded charger network with the goal of getting our state to one million EVs on the road by 2030. CEJA has environmental justice at its center: it prioritizes emissions reductions in communities who have been hardest hit by pollution and climate impacts and supports communities who have been economically impacted by the transition away from coal.
What are the benefits? Why is it important?
It¡¯s essential that state and other local economies focus on building a clean energy economy if we want to counteract the effects of climate change. What we can¡¯t ignore, however, is the reality of the economic and career opportunities that have existed in past coal and oil-based economies. Expanding clean energy requires expanding economic opportunities for people to attain well-paying, career-focused local jobs. Progress isn¡¯t progress unless it provides opportunities to everyone, not just those with the most privileges and advantages.
CEJA funds apprenticeship programs to help new grads and those looking to switch careers train in well-paying fields looking to hire. It supports training programs and facilities at colleges around the state, including in rural areas historically underserved by training programs. Illinois also has legislation that provides tax incentives and funds dedicated to bringing clean energy companies to Illinois to bring jobs and development to communities in every corner of the state. We have to make changes now to leave a better future for the next generations, but in Illinois that work has gone hand in hand with the goal of making communities stronger and families more stable and successful
