When Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that the City of Chicago reduced carbon emissions by 7% from 2010 to 2015, ESD felt a surge of pride — before heading back to work.
The reason: A large part of the emission reductions came from the energy used in buildings, and ESD has always been focused on energy efficiency in Chicago’s office buildings, data centers and beyond.
The reductions are even more impressive when considering Chicago experienced a 25,000 increase in population and a 12% increase in the region’s economy during the period while carbon emissions declined.
The voluntary Retrofit Chicago program and the city’s Energy Benchmarking Ordinance played key roles in the reduction. ESD champions both the program and the ordinance, especially since they support our company’s mission: Improving Society Through the Built Environment.