formerly citizens' greener Evanston
We accelerate local community-driven climate action.

OUR KEY CONTRIBUTION

Ramped up, well-organized, and robust community participation.
Climate action doesn’t just happen on its own!

MUCH ACCOMPLISHED

Building on an impressive record, and with continued grassroots support, Evanston has been the first city in Illinois to:
2018

Enact a climate action plan to reach net-zero emissions (by 2050)

2019

Gain certification as a National Wildlife Foundation Community Habitat

2020

Enact an Environmental Justice Resolution

2025

Big year! Both enact a building performance standard for existing buildings and stretch energy code for new construction

TAKE YOUR NEXT STEP!

Join with us in helping our town extend its climate leadership. We’ll help you find tangible ways to contribute, tailored to your interests, circumstances and skills.

AND BY THE WAY...

Our influence extends beyond Evanston.
We share best practices with partners in support of regional action.

We are speeding our city's progress in addressing the climate crisis through our programs:

Beyond Waste Program symbol

Beyond Waste

In nature there is no waste: outputs from living things circle back to become useful inputs to other living things. This program works to speed up progress in extending the useful life of items and making more of Evanston's outputs valuable inputs.

program home page
Edible Evanston's symbol

Edible Evanston

Regenerative agriculture practices produce an abundance of nutritious foods, sequester carbon in soil, and heal ecosystems degraded by industrial agriculture. This program creates local community around adopting these practices and equitably sharing the resulting bounty.

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Energy Program symbol

Energy

Greenhouse gas emissions are reduced through improved energy efficiency, reduced fossil fuel consumption, and the use of renewable energy. This program works to speed the transition to more efficient use of electricity to cook food, heat spaces, heat water, dry clothes, and power vehicles.

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Environmental Justice Evanston symbol

Environmental Justice Evanston

The harms caused by climate change and ecosystem degradation and the benefits derived from taking action to address them tend to be unfairly distributed. This program seeks to make them accrue equitably throughout Evanston.

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Go Evanston program symbol

Go Evanston

Personal vehicles typically are infrequently used and transport a single passenger. All fossil fuel powered vehicles accelerate climate change. This program works to reduce reliance on personal vehicles and increase sustainable transportation options.

program home page

Natural Habitat Evanston

Conventional lawns and garden practices waste water, emit carbon and poison birds and pollinators whose populations are in dramatic decline. Natural Habitat works to return vibrant, buzzing life to Evanston public and private-owned landscapes.

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Calendar of upcoming events

Evanston Repair Café

Hosted by the Evanston Public Library and Climate Action Evanston, Repair Cafés are free meeting spaces where people fix things together. Besides the obvious cost savings, Repair Cafés keep stuff out of the landfill, promote collaboration, permit skill-sharing, build community self-reliance, and support Evanston's Climate Action and Resilience Plan. Repair Cafes are typically held on the 2nd Saturday and 4th Tuesday each month. Details on location and registration can be found at the link below. While pre-registration is preferred, walk-ins are welcome.

Click for More InformationClick for More Information
Nov 8
Sat
10:00 am
12:00 pm
Location Varies

Oaktober 2025: tree plantings

Join in Tree Plantings

SIgn UpSIgn Up
Nov 11
Tue
2:00 pm
Lovelace Park, Evanston

Upgrade old Computer Hardware (End of 10)

As Microsoft and Apple cease automatic operating system updates for older hardware, you don’t have to buy a new computer to safely and securely keep using the computer you already have. Beyond Waste will be providing free installations of up-to-date open-source software that will keep your computer useful and safe. Intended for computers purchased before 2018.

Registration Required. Click Here to register.Registration Required. Click Here to register.
Nov 15
Sat
10:00 am
4:00 pm
Evanston Public Library Main Branch

Nurturing Nature: Cities Are For Songbirds

Tim Beatley willpresent the contours of an emerging vision of cities, Biophilic Cities,that at once emphasizes the health and ecological benefits of nature forhumans, but also the inherent moral worth of nonhuman life. Cities must bedesigned as multispecies habitats and with coexistence and biodiversityconservation as priorities. A special focus in the talk will be given to birdsand the important ways that cities can be designed and planned to be bird-safeand bird-friendly (building on the ideas and stories presented in his recentIsland Press book, The Bird-Friendly City). Beatley will alsodiscuss the creation of the international Biophilic Cities Network, now morethan a decade old, and provide examples of innovative practices, policies andprojects that aim to include nonhuman life.  

RegisterRegister
Nov 19
Wed
6:30 pm
7:30 pm
Zoom

Evanston Litter League: Kits v. Cats

Join us to launch the Evanston Litter League, a community clean-up that raises awareness around waste. Our first event will feature a friendly competition between teams led by ETHS and Northwestern students. Equipment will be provided. All are welcome to join!

Sign up hereSign up here
Nov 22
Sat
10:30 am
12:30 pm
Evanston Township High School Door 2

Nurturing Nature: A Light Proposal: Restore the Nights of Evanston

As the cost oflighting has become cheap, our nights are paying the price. We are generating anever-brightening world while failing to grasp the dramatic ramifications ofturning night into day has on our lives and our world. Thankfully, there ishope. The simple act of awareness is the first step to meaningful change. Andawareness is growing. Still, one of the greatest hurdles to a solution remains:how to achieve it. Join me in an exploration of the importance of naturalnights and learn actionable ways you can preserve this vital resource.

RegisterRegister
Dec 17
Wed
6:30 pm
7:30 pm
Zoom

You're Needed! Here Are Some Involvement Opportunities

Read Our eNewsletter

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Join our more than 2,400 subscribers and get monthly updates on what’s going on with climate action in and around Evanston. It’s free.

Volunteer

Our programs are always seeking volunteers. Visit their home pages to learn more about the opportunities they offer.

Newsletter coordinator needed

Learn more Learn more

On a monthly basis we are seeking someone to gather content from our team of providers, use editorial judgement to clean up and sequence submissions, and prepare them for uploading to our newsletter template. See details in this position posting on VolunteerEvanston.

Although we’re a volunteer organization, we have expenses. Increasing our revenues allows us to budget to do more. Help us build the capacity to better support all our programs, or target your donation to a specific program.

More about Climate Action Evanston

Climate Action Evanston volunteers and staff collaborate with the city, local businesses, faith communities, other environmental organizations and residents to accelerate climate action to meet our city's CARP (Climate Action and Resilience Plan) goals throughout our inner suburb just north of Chicago. Formerly Citizens' Greener Evanston, we started in 2008 and worked with the City on its first climate plan.

Some Successes

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