Accomplishments

2008 Key Accomplishments

Planted…
…rain gardens and other green infrastructure at churches and schools in Bellwood, Lemont, Tinley Park, Rock Island, Park Forest, and Rogers Park to demonstrate the effectiveness of capturing raindrops where they fall as a stormwater management strategy.

Joined…
…Transportation for America (T4) Campaign to put forth a bold economic agenda called “Build for America: A Five-Point Plan to get our Economy Moving” which has the potential to create millions of good, green jobs nationally, save Americans thousands of dollars per year, and reduce America’s dependence on oil once and for all.

Collaborated…
…with the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and Microsoft Corporation, Ascentium Corporation, and ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability to launch Project 2°, Web-based Emissions Tracker software that will give cities around the world practical tools to measure in a uniform way and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Partnered…
…with the Surface Transportation Policy Partnership to create “From the Margins to the Mainstream”, a series of webinars and workshops aimed at educating transportation advocates, government officials, developers, and citizens about the transportation planning process, and to improve the quality of public involvement during transportation planning.

Published…
…“Chicago’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Inventory, Forecast and Mitigation Analysis for Chicago and the Metropolitan Region”, the Research Summary of CNT’s mitigation analysis of Chicago’s greenhouse gas emissions for the Chicago Climate Action Plan which was released in September 2008.

Audited…
…over 3,500 multi-family rental buildings all over Cook and Lake Counties. CNT Energy’s Cook and Lake Counties Energy Savers programs performed energy audits, evaluating the efficiency of building systems and provided reports to building owners with energy efficiency recommendations.

Created…
…the Illinois Smart Grid Initiative, a public-private working group formed to engage Illinoisans in examining the nature and potential benefits of a modernized electric grid, and to map a policy path for achieving those benefits for consumers and the economy.

Piloted…
…the Equity Express workshop series, with our partners in Oakland, California, aimed to teach adult participants about the savings opportunities associated with good environmental stewardship and a healthy urban environment. The series of six workshops integrates financial education with sustainability education in the areas of energy, transportation, food and telecommunications.

Launched…
…the Housing + Transportation Affordability Index website, an innovative tool that challenges the traditional measure of housing affordability by taking into account not just the cost of housing, but also the associated costs of transportation.

Expanded…
…I-GO car sharing to 200 cars and 12,000 members in Chicago, Evanston, and Oak Park. These members are not only saving up to $4,000 each on their yearly transportation costs, they are also reducing CO2 emissions and traffic congestion in the Chicago area.

And finally…

Celebrated…
…our 30th Anniversary this September, with a gala event at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Guests enjoyed organic food and the lovely setting as they reconnected with old friends and colleagues.

Download a pdf of CNT’s 2008 Highlights in Pictures.