Gov. Pritzker Eliminates Barrier to Illinois Climate Action

ILLINOIS - Gov. Pritzker signed a bill late last evening that would undo restrictions limiting the state’s climate action. The Illinois Kyoto Protocol Act of 1998 defined the state’s response to the international treaty of the same name, which outlined greenhouse gas emissions standards for countries across the globe. Once the U.S. withdrew from the treaty, Illinois was locked in to standards that did not correspond to any national benchmarks. Advocates hope that the repeal of the state’s Kyoto Protocol Act will lead to new aggressive carbon reduction policies in Illinois.

The following is a statement from J.C. Kibbey, Natural Resources Defense Council’s Illinois clean energy advocate:

“By signing this repeal, Governor Pritzker opened a door for Illinois to develop what could be the strongest clean energy policies in the country. This small step starts to set the state’s course towards a full and just transition to clean energy. We look forward to continuing to work with the Governor to move towards 100 percent renewable energy, cleaner air, and equitable clean energy job opportunities throughout our state.”

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​