To: The Illinois State House, The Illinois State Senate, and Governor J.B. Pritzker

The Green Roofs Plan

The Chicago Green Roofs Plan combines a desire to provide our citizenry with a highly habitable environment, our blue collar labor pool with long-term employment, businesses large and small with operational cost savings and the city itself with a means to economically and effectively mitigate rainwater runoff, ease the urban heat island effect and combat air pollution.

Why is this important?

Heating and cooling our homes and offices comprise 40% of total U.S. energy consumption (including two-thirds of the country’s electricity) and 16% of total U.S. water consumption. Reducing energy use in buildings by converting traditional flat tar and gravel rooftops into green areas holds the promise of saving resources and money while reducing pollution and CO2 in the atmosphere through the ability of topsoil to naturally retain and/or dissipate heat.

A large part of this program is the mandate that all firms bidding on projects train and employ local labor and that no less than 40% of all contracts go to minority-owned firms, which ensures the project benefits the entire city. Better yet, it can be the first part of “The Green Plan of Chicago,” which includes a volunteer commission of prominent Chicagoans and include a salaried position for a Chicago Green Commissioner.