The Chamber encourages members of the business community to be good stewards of the environment and to participate in efforts that will help minimize climate change, adopt green policies and practices and encourage the use of sustainable resources.

• The Chamber continues to participate in the City of Chicago’s Climate Change Initiative, a comprehensive program designed to build on the steps the City is already taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by identifying specific goals and action plans to reduce emissions.
  
  As a member of the Climate Change Initiative Finance Committee, the Chamber is also helping to develop financial incentives designed to induce businesses to adopt green policies and practices that will help reduce carbon emissions and meet overall goals.
• The Chamber has partnered with the Chicago Sustainable Business Alliance, an organization that promotes and supports a network of enterprises that strive to maximize the ‘triple bottom line:’ economic, environmental and social sustainability.
• The Chamber monitors city, county and state environmental proposals that could unfairly impact businesses, including:
  
  
  • City Council proposal to ban the use of non-compostable plastic check-out bags used by grocery stores and other retailers;
  • City Council proposal to study the feasibility of implementing a Congestion Pricing System that would institute a fee for drivers entering parts of the city that experience heavy traffic congestion;
  • Cook County proposal to impose a tax on the disposal of solid waste at any solid waste disposal facility within Cook County;
  • Cook County proposal on Air Pollution Operating Permits, which would greatly expand the number of businesses covered by greenhouse gas emission standards, deviate from the schedule of emissions covered by the Illinois EPA and City of Chicago Department of Environment, and include carbon dioxide as a regulated pollutant.
  
  The Chamber also sent a letter in support of the BP Whiting Refinery modernization project and encouraged the Indiana Department of Environmental Management to approve the proposed air permits for BP.
• The Chamber worked with the City of Chicago, ComEd and other partners to encourage the business community to support 2008 Earth Hour held on March 29 – an initiative of the World Wildlife Fund that calls on individuals and businesses around the world to voluntarily turn off lights for one hour to raise awareness about climate change.
• The Chamber worked with the Chicago Department of Environment to encourage businesses to participate in the 2008 Chicago Waste Collection Survey. The survey will help the Department better understand the quality and cost of refuse and the recycling collection services offered to community businesses.