Environmental Protection & Energy City Council July 22, 2020
RESOLUTION CALLING ON GOVERNOR PRITZKER TO SIGN THE MULTI-STATE MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY ZERO EMISSION VEHICLE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
WHEREAS, Climate change poses a real and serious threat to the global population, having already resulted in devastating consequences for the residents ofthe State oflllinois and the City of Chicago, including deteriorating air quality, increased extreme weather events and natural disasters including sea level rise and flooding and elevated temperatures; and
WHEREAS, These devastating impacts and consequential effects of climate change, will continue unless decisive, immediate action is taken; and
WHEREAS, A leading cause of climate change is human generated greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion, and, in the United States, the transportation sector is the largest source of such emissions; and
WHEREAS, Electrification of the transportation sector and divestment in the fossil fuel industry is essential to achieving substantial progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and alleviating the adverse impacts climate change has caused and will continue to cause; and
WHEREAS, The majority all green revenue jobs, an estimated 27.7%, are in the transportation and material moving sector, according to the 2012 U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; and
WHEREAS, To help jump-start the electrification of the transportation industry, several states have already signed the Multi-State Medium and Heavy Duty Zero Emission Vehicle Memorandum of Understanding (the "Memorandum") pledging to coordinate each signee's actions to ensure a national reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is achieved and to address environmental justice problems that typically impact disadvantaged communities; and
WHEREAS, The environmental solutions pledged in the Memorandum include a commitment to making all medium and heavy duty vehicles sold in each state's jurisdiction "zero-emission" vehicles by 20...
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