CHICAGO, Ill. (WTVO) — Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker has been named co-chair of a coalition of nationwide leaders tackling policies on climate policies.
Pritzker will co-chair America Is All In with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, in an effort to promote local climate action and provide a roadmap for cities, states, businesses and institutions to implement climate-friendly policies.
“We cannot be afraid to tell the truth: the climate crisis is real and we must tackle it with action that protects us from natural disasters and builds a strong clean energy economy with good-paying jobs," Pritzker said. "It’s clear that states like Illinois and cities, businesses, and institutions will be where climate action presses forward. I’m proud to be joining America Is All In as a Co-Chair to continue building a clean energy economy that works for all.”
In 2021, Pritzker signed legislation to put Illinois on a path toward 100% clean energy by 2050.
Pritzker’s actions come after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Agreement, which was aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels or, failing that, keeping temperatures at least well below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius) above pre-industrial levels.
Trump’s order says the Paris accord is among a number of international agreements that don’t reflect U.S. values and “steer American taxpayer dollars to countries that do not require, or merit, financial assistance in the interests of the American people.”
The world is now long-term 2.3 degrees Fahrenheit (1.3 degrees Celsius) above mid-1800s temperatures. Most but not all climate monitoring agencies said global temperatures last year passed the warming mark of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit, and all said it was the warmest year on record.
China several years ago passed the United States as the world’s largest annual carbon dioxide emitting nation. The U.S. — the second biggest annual carbon polluting country — put 4.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in the air in 2023, down 11% from a decade earlier, according to the scientists who track emissions for the Global Carbon Project.
But carbon dioxide lasts in the atmosphere for centuries, so the United States has put more of the heat-trapping gas that is now in the air than any other nation. The U.S. is responsible for nearly 22% of the carbon dioxide put in the atmosphere since 1950, according to Global Carbon Project.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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February 7, 2025 at 09:38AM
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