Elgin hopes to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 60% in next five years with new climate action plan

The Elgin City Council unanimously agreed to adopt a Climate Action and Resiliency Plan that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the city by nearly 60% in the next five years.

The plan sets four overarching goals, including achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, adapting to climate impacts, fostering collaboration across the community, and delivering social, environmental and economic benefits equitably.

“Actions in the plan are designed to be ambitious but practical, and they are grounded with community input support,” said Kristin Iftner, Elgin’s sustainability manager. “(They) are focused on long-term, lasting impact.”

Twenty-nine strategic actions in the plan are organized into six focus areas, addressing energy use in homes and businesses, transportation, resource consumption, biodiversity and public health.

Implementation guidance is built into the plan, and progress will be tracked through the city’s strategic planning dashboard, with regular updates shared with the community, City Manager Rick Kozal said.

Early actions will expand education, outreach and partnerships to create momentum for long-term policies that reduce emissions and strengthen resiliency.

Council member John Steffen said he appreciated the focus on education and communication.

“There are people that don’t care, and you’ll never reach them,” Steffen said. “And there’s people that don’t know to care because they just don’t have the facts and the information. Those are the people that need to be approached to try to understand the scope of what we’re dealing with here and how to combat it.”

He also suggested that a sustainability review be part of the process for anything that comes before the planning and zoning commission.

Mayor David Kaptain said the plan will evolve over time.

“This document is on paper for us. It’s not written in stone, and it can’t be,” Kaptain said. “Because things change rapidly. They change more rapidly than we can imagine.”

The plan required no immediate funding, and any initiatives with costs associated with them will come before the council for approval.