Chicago conference looking into ways to make transportation more sustainable
Emissions from cars and trucks are among the greatest sources of air pollution in the Chicago area. With Illinois' air pollution worse than the national average, experts are talking about ways to change that.
At the Sustainability Research and Innovation Congress in downtown Chicago this week, global leaders gathered to focus on solutions for making transportation more sustainable and better for the environment; whether it be planes, trains, buses, or cars.
"Chicago really has the ability to be sort of an epicenter for climate leadership," said Erik G. Birkerts, Chief Growth Officer at LanzaJet, a sustainable fuel technology company.
Imad Al-Qadi, the Director of the Illinois Center for Transportation, said transportation is responsible for 29% of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States – known to have an impact on health and the environment. In Chicago, transportation accounts for 32% of greenhouse gas emissions.
"We are at a point where we can make a big change," Al-Qadi said. "We have a very aggressive program to reduce the energy that is generated from the coal."
As part of the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act passed in 2021, Illinois has a goal to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050.
"Transportation is one of these sectors that is known to be as hard to decarbonize," Birkerts said.
So what's happening in Chicago, and what more can be done to reach the state's clean energy goal?
Spokespeople for the CTA said the agency is environmentally conscious, and after successfully deploying two electric buses in 2014, they have plans to add 20 to 30 more in the next few years.
A spokesperson for Metra said the rail agency this week won a more than $23 million award to buy three battery-electric switch locomotives, replacing some of Metra's oldest, most-polluting diesel locomotives.
"The purchase, which will comply with the federal Build America Buy America Act, will serve as a pilot project to test battery-electric technology for railroad locomotives. Metra will also provide $5.8 million as the local match for the project. The project is expected to go out to bid later this year," the agency said.
Pace representatives said they are also focused on sustainability, noting the agency recently broke ground on its first all-electric bus facility in Waukegan.
"Our Project Zero initiative is focused on sustainability. All of the program goals and milestones are on the project webpage," a spokesperson said in an email.
"The public transportation is always saving in the emission anyway," Al-Qadi said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Honor & Home Instead Partners with Activated Insights to Elevate Caregiver Training Nationwide
REXBURG, Idaho, July 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Activated Insights, the leading provider of experience management and training solutions for long-term and post-acute care organizations, is proud to announce a partnership with Honor, parent company of Home Instead®, the largest home care franchise network in the U.S. and a leading provider of personal care services. Activated Insights will serve as the enterprise Learning Management System (LMS) for Honor and Home Instead, providing over 60,000 caregivers and employees with access to training materials, career development resources, and upskilling opportunities. As the nation's largest home care franchise network, Home Instead operates more than 600+ franchise locations and corporate-owned care teams. By leveraging Activated Insights' LMS, they will provide their workforce with high-quality, standardized training, supporting consistent care quality across the network. "Through this partnership, caregivers will gain access to best-in-class education, leading to improved care outcomes, increased job satisfaction, and reduced turnover," said Bud Meadows, CEO of Activated Insights. "With the rising demand for home care services and the need for highly skilled caregivers, our collaboration with Honor and Home Instead ensures care professionals receive the education and support they need to thrive—ultimately improving both employee retention and the quality of care for the seniors they serve." As part of this partnership, Activated Insights training solutions will be made available across Honor & Home Instead's network as part of a broader initiative to support professional development. The training program is designed to equip caregivers with the skills and knowledge required to succeed in a rapidly evolving industry, enhancing both their professional growth and the quality of care they provide. To learn more about the partnership and how Activated Insights is advancing training and development, visit Activated Insights Training. About Activated Insights Activated Insights enables long-term and post-acute care providers to improve the experience of every interaction with employees and the people in their care. Through recruitment, continuing education and training, recruitment and retention, and experience management tools—along with the industry's leading benchmarking and recognition programs—Activated Insights helps providers improve satisfaction, reduce turnover, and achieve operational excellence across senior living and home-based care. Learn more at Media Contact John View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Activated Insights
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump administration unfreezes $1B in after-school funding: Source
The Trump administration has unfrozen over a billion dollars for critical after-school and summer education programming, a senior administration official told ABC News. "The programmatic review is over for 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC)," the senior administration official said. "Funds will be released to the states. Guardrails have been put in place to ensure these funds are not used in violation of Executive Orders," the official said in a statement to ABC News. The official did not provide further details on the 'guardrails' for the program. 21st Century Community Learning Centers -- the chief federal funding stream for after-school and summer-learning programs -- supports more than 10,000 local programs serving more than 1 million children nationwide. Congress appropriated $1.329 billion for the programs this fiscal year. MORE: GOP senators urge Trump administration to reverse $6 billion education funding freeze ABC News' Aidan Gellert contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Yahoo
8 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Charlotte's sports scene surges with 2026 MLS All-Star Game
Charlotte likely cemented itself as a soccer city this week after MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the Queen City will host league's 2026 All-Star Game. Game On: MLS All-Star Game coming to Queen City It's part of an ongoing effort to put Charlotte on the map through sports. Channel 9 sports reporter DaShawn Brown sat down with one of the key players making it happen. Charlotte-native Will Pitts was named CEO for the Charlotte Sports Foundation this past spring, after his work with the nonprofit since 2010. Pitts was part of the team for the city's first ACC Football Championship game. 'As we think about future opportunities, we need to continue to be creative,' Pitts said. 'When we think about the industry, I would define it as sports and entertainment.' This includes bringing Savannah Bananas baseball to a football stadium when a franchise record-setting crowd was recorded in Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium. Savannah Bananas bring Banana Ball to Bank of America Stadium Then there's the Charlotte Invitational, which returns for a second year, which featured a tennis match in what's normally a basketball arena, at the Spectrum Center. Pitts said it's part of their winning formula: Innovation and collaboration. 'We're working closely with the city, the county, the venues, Tepper Sports and Entertainment, Hornets Sports and Entertainment to think creatively about what opportunities are out there that would be great for our community. Some events that already exist, and others that we manufacture and create new.' CSF officials publicly stated their interest in future events including the NFL Draft and an Army-Navy football game. To date, Pitts said they haven't submitted an official bid for the draft but received feedback for both events. 'They've experienced Charlotte through site visits and conversations to this point. They're experiences have been great; they've been very complimentary of what Charlotte has to offer. It probably just comes down to timing,' he said. 'We'll be working through that trying to bring that to fruition in the future.' Meanwhile, the total economic impact from its events continues to grow each year, according to the CSF Annual Report: 2024: $90.6 million 2023: $79.7 million 2022: $77.2 million Pitts projects CSF could surpass $100 million in total economic impact in 2025. VIDEO: Game On: MLS All-Star Game coming to Queen City
