Zero Means Zero

The Illinois Clean Jobs Coalition cannot support anything less than zero emissions in the power sector by a date certain, as many other states already require by 2040 or 2045, and President Biden has proposed to achieve by 2035.

This is the bare minimum of what science tells us is necessary to preserve a livable climate.

Pro-fossil fuel interests have been pushing loopholes recently that would allow fossil fuel power plants to continue to operate and pollute indefinitely, such as capturing less than 100% percent  of carbon emissions, or allowing fossil fuel companies to plant trees to “offset” their pollution instead of reducing it. “Zero emissions” means zero emissions, not loopholes and half-measures.

These fossil fuel industry-backed proposals will not address the climate crisis. They will not help the thousands of Illinoisans sickened or killed by fossil fuel pollution each year. They will not help the one person who dies every five days from the Prairie State coal plant’s pollution.

These proposals would not only fail to lead the nation, they would take us backwards. No other state in the country with a 100% zero carbon requirement allows these loopholes.

Our state is already experiencing floods, droughts, heat waves, and record temperatures from climate change, and these disasters will only worsen if we do not act.