CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A new report urges the city of Chicago to take bolder steps to make its buildings more environmentally-friendly.
There are more than half a million buildings in the city and that at least half of them are over 100 years old, according to the report by Urban Land Institute Chicago.
The report says the buildings account for 69% of carbon emissions in the city and that ways have to be found to reduce that.
ULI Chicago brought together 50 area stakeholders, including industry experts, civic and community leaders, and public sector officials to develop recommendations for accelerating building decarbonization.
ULI said that in addition to constructing buildings with low or net zero carbon emissions, retrofitting existing buildings to lower carbon emissions by reducing energy consumption, and switching to cleaner energy sources, is critical for a sustainable future.
"While leadership from the public sector is key, close partnerships with the non-profit and private sectors will be necessary to effectively implement the report recommendations," ULI said.
The report notes, however, that it would be tough financially for the owners of smaller buildings to retrofit them to be more energy-efficient.
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