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IEC Statement on Senate Passage of the Inflation Reduction Act

Springfield, IL – Today, in response to Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) released the following statement from Executive Director Jen Walling: “It’s a historic day. The Inflation Reduction Act is the single biggest thing our nation has ever done to confront the climate crisis. The IRA will […]

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IEC Statement in Response to Leader Schumer and Sen. Manchin’s Agreement on Reconciliation Bill with Climate Provisions

CHICAGO – In response to Majority Leader Schumer and Senator Manchin’s announcements of an agreement to add the ‘Inflation Reduction Act of 2022,’ which reportedly will reduce carbon emissions by close to 40 percent by 2030, to the reconciliation bill, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) issued the following statement from Executive Director Jen Walling: “We

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Rescue our beloved and endangered monarch butterflies

“The loss of food sources, the loss of habitat and pesticides are a triple threat for monarchs,” Jennifer Walling, executive director of the Illinois Environmental Council, told us. Because Illinois is an important state for migrating monarchs, “Illinois should do more than the federal government,” Walling said. The number of Eastern monarchs, the ones you

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Chicago Releases First City Plan in More Than 50 Years

Iyana Simba, city programs director with the Illinois Environmental Council was the co-chair of environment, climate and energy for We Will Chicago. She said the plan recognizes a disinvestment in equitable policy and how that translates to health impacts, like the impact of industry and pollution, especially on Black, Latino and low-income communities.  “We really [honed] in

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IEC’s Statement on Senator Manchin’s Refusal to Support Climate Action

Springfield, IL – In response to the news that Senator Manchin will not support climate action in the Senate reconciliation deal, the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC) released the following statement: “The climate provisions in President Biden’s Build Back Better plan are, in no uncertain terms, our last chance to prevent the most catastrophic and costly

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Reaction to SCOTUS EPA Decision

One of the 18 decisions released by the US Supreme Court in June 2022: West Virginia vs. Environmental Protection Agency. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of West Virginia, limiting the EPA of its power to regulate carbon emissions from existing power plants. The ruling raises more questions than answers about the future of the

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Illinois leads on climate action

“While CEJA shoots for a 46% reduction in statewide emissions from 2005 levels by 2030, the RMI modeling estimates the state is on track to achieve just about 22%. What they’re saying: “The scorecard … reminds us of the importance of emissions limits and holding industry accountable,” Samira Hanessian of the Illinois Environmental Council, which pushed

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EXPLAINER: Why Court’s EPA-Climate Change Ruling Matters

Jeffrey Trevino, an EPA lawyer and Steward of the AFGE Local 704 — that’s the union that represents local EPA Workers; Phillip Braun, a Clinical Professor of Finance at the  Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University; James Taylor, President of the Heartland Institute, and Jennifer Walling, the Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council

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IEC’s Statement on The Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Decision

IEC stands today in frustration, sadness and solidarity with all Americans who need accessible abortion healthcare. One of the core goals of our work as an organization is to build power for Illinois’ people and environment, however, today’s US Supreme Court decision comes as a clear obstruction to that work. Reproductive Justice, like many other

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2022 Environmental Scorecard

IEC is back with our 2022 Environmental Scorecard for the Illinois General Assembly. Scores are based on the environmental impact of their voting record over the last legislative session.  We hope this will be a useful resource and allow you to see whether your legislators have used their power in the General Assembly to protect

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Legislating for Climate Justice Starts With Listening

“Jennifer Walling, Executive Director of the Illinois Environmental Council (IEC), told me that, without any other offer of resources, expecting feedback on a 500-page draft bill was an unrealistic ask. As a result, FEJA did not include potential insights from community members that could have strengthened the equity and justice provisions and ensured programs reached

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