Deerfield getting serious on greenhouse gas emissions

The Deerfield board of trustees has issued an environmental challenge.

By a 5-0 vote on Monday, the board endorsed three objectives of the village's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group, adopted in February 2020 with members appointed by Mayor Dan Shapiro.

The unanimous vote was met by applause from supporters at the village hall.

Board trustee Mary Oppenheim chairs the group, which includes fellow trustee Elaine Jacoby, village staff, members of the Sustainability Commission, members of Go Green Deerfield, and DBR Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Victoria Street.

Oppenheim said the group met 12 times over six months, and the result was a 78-page report created by Assistant Village Manager Andrew Lichterman that Oppenheim hoped the board would accept "as a blueprint for our sustainability efforts as we move forward," she said.

It is a stern blueprint that aims to reduce greenhouse gases by 45% by 2030 and seeks to be carbon neutral by 2050.

"It's a big ask," Oppenheim admitted.

The report, included in the June 6 agenda, found that in 2017 Deerfield contributed 428,798 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the baseline figure by which reductions will be judged.

The three objectives, each initially targeting the 2030 time frame, are to convert 100% of the village's electricity uses to renewable sources; reduce transportation emissions by 55%; and reduce waste emissions 66%.

Electricity usage produced the highest amount of pollutants in the baseline year of 2017 - 153,097 metric tons of carbon dioxide, or its equivalent, according to the report, 36% of the total.

Basic mitigation strategies for reduction in energy emissions include decreased consumption, use of clean and efficient sources supported by policy, the use of renewable power and making buildings more energy efficient.

Transportation infrastructure will be addressed, including emphasis on sustainable transportation, also supported by policy and regulation. The group seeks a decrease of dependence on gasoline powered vehicles in its own fleet and throughout the village for transportation, as well as for lawncare equipment.

Identifying waste as a greenhouse gas culprit is not as common as the prior two topics, and contributed only 3% of Deerfield's 2017 emissions.

Still, "designing out" waste and pollution and increasing recycling and composting will help, particularly in the commercial sector, Oppenheim said. She'd like to increase the level of composting, currently about 30% throughout the village - "especially in the commercial sector," she said.

"It'll require some major effort, but we do think it's achievable," she said of the 45% reduction in emissions by 2030.

To get the ball rolling, the Working Group wants to prioritize aspects and actions that will reach the 2030 goal, start folding costs of environmental policy into the village budget, forge partnerships with fellow stakeholders, and get entities such as schools, churches, businesses and the park district on board.

The report's authors noted it was created without sustainability consultants or professionals; one goal is to create an updated emissions "inventory" possibly through that investment. The group seeks to do baseline assessments every four years and, naturally, bring proposals to the board for consideration and action.

"This is something that staff and potentially volunteers will need to be working on year-round. This is not a one-shot deal where you set up a symposium or something. This will require staff resources and people resources, and we don't know exactly what other resources, but this is ongoing," Oppenheim said.

"It's already taking place. It needs to increase, and it needs to be constant."

Trustee Bill Seiden agreed.

"I think it's a wonderful task that you've undertaken," he said. "I've been in favor of this, as the committee knows, for many years. To be against it, as far as I'm concerned, is to be against motherhood, apple pie and the Chicago Cubs."

To gauge progress, before the board vote on the objectives Shapiro requested an update in the fall.

Art Wilde, a Deerfield resident who is part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Working Group and a member of Go Green Deerfield, took to the podium for his thoughts.

"This is a big deal," he said. "This is bigger than us."