EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl has committed to the Compact of Mayors, a global coalition of city leaders dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making their communities more resilient to climate change, and regularly reporting their progress publicly.

By participating in the Compact of Mayors, Mayor Tisdahl is reinforcing the City’s commitment to climate action by taking stock of greenhouse emissions, creating an action plan that includes clear and ambitious reduction targets, and implementing a common system of measuring those emissions and monitoring climate risks.

“The actions we take at a local level will have a global impact," said Mayor Tisdahl. "By committing to the Compact of Mayors, we are continuing our work to make Evanston the most livable city, while helping create a better world for today’s urban citizens and generations to come.”

Committing to the Compact of Mayors is the latest step in the City’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2013, Evanston became one of only a handful of communities in the nation to achieve its climate action plan commitment to the US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement, reducing emissions by 13 percent relative to 2005 baseline levels. This year, the City is on pace to achieve the goals laid out in the 2014 Evanston Livability Plan, which pledged to reduce emissions by 20 percent relative to 2005 baseline levels.

In 2016, the City will convene with community partners to assess the progress of the Evanston Livability Plan, complete a community emissions inventory, set data-based targets for emissions reduction, and develop and implement a climate action plan to achieve those goals.

As one of the key initiatives launched at the UN Climate Summit in September of 2014 by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Envoy for Cities and Climate Change, Michael R. Bloomberg, the Compact of Mayors is the world’s largest collective effort to date by cities to tackle climate change, proactively prepare for its impacts, and regularly track and report progress.

"The Compact of Mayors reflects the commitment that cities are making to reduce carbon emissions and the crucial role they play in confronting climate change," said Bloomberg. "The more cities that take part in the Compact, the bigger impact it will have. I applaud all of the mayors who have joined, and look forward to welcoming more cities into our growing coalition."

Recent research shows that if every local government  in the world took action in accordance with the Compact of Mayors—particularly by targeting their building energy, transportation, and waste sectors—they could reduce global greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of cutting the world’s annual coal use by more than half.

Visit compactofmayors.org to learn more about the Compact of Mayors.