I wish to begin by expressing my sincere gratitude to Mayor Daniel Biss, the City Council members, the dedicated city staff and environmental advocates who have worked tirelessly on the Healthy Buildings Ordinance (HBO). Their passion for sustainability and commitment to addressing climate change in Evanston deserve our collective thanks. As president of Northwestern University, I have been closely following the discussions and debates surrounding this ordinance, and I believe there is a way to strike a better balance between Evanston’s environmental aspirations and the concerns of our community.
I understand that, despite recent revisions, many stakeholders in Evanston remain uneasy about the ordinance’s scope, timeline and potential financial implications. The discussion convened on Friday by the Evanston Chamber of Commerce reinforced these worries; participants left with lingering doubts about the feasibility, cost and fairness of the proposed measures. Many of the concerns are similar to those that Northwestern has shared with the city — that the ordinance sets stringent compliance obligations but defers all of the detailed responses to questions to a process that will occur in the future. In addition, our local school districts have expressed similar concerns about the ordinance’s impact on their operations and finances. Yet, it appears the ordinance sponsors will be moving forward with the proposal tonight before conducting the broader community engagement, detailed audits and independent assessments essential to a thoughtful and durable plan.
In response to these concerns, Northwestern stands ready to help. In particular, our new Abrams Climate Academy at the Kellogg School of Management offers an interdisciplinary platform that can be harnessed for exactly this kind of collaborative, data-driven effort. Working in partnership with city staff, environmental leaders and a diverse array of local stakeholders, the academy can convene experts in policy, finance, public health, engineering and more to craft a more robust process. This approach would encourage deeper community participation and culminate in an ordinance that meets Evanston’s ambitious climate goals, while better understanding the real-world impacts on key issues like economic development, housing affordability and unanticipated burdens on residents and other property owners.
I also recognize the concerns about the federal grant from the Department of Energy, with recent executive orders casting doubt on whether that grant money will ultimately be disbursed — Northwestern is facing many of those same uncertainties. In the spirit of public-private partnership, if additional external resources are needed beyond the support outlined above, Northwestern is prepared to work alongside the city to help fund some of those necessary steps (such as sample building audits for different building types).
Importantly, this offer is contingent upon the City Council choosing to pause the current ordinance and opting instead for a more measured, inclusive approach that helps us all understand the full scope of the ordinance and impacts prior to its adoption. We believe such a process would allow for comprehensive input and rigorous analysis, leading to a stronger and more equitable HBO that benefits everyone — the city, school districts, business owners, other nonprofits, Evanston residents and the university.
It is my hope that by joining forces, we can usher in a new era of civic collaboration —one in which academic expertise, governmental leadership and grassroots advocacy align to safeguard our environment and promote shared prosperity. Evanston has long been a model of civic engagement. By working together on the Healthy Buildings Ordinance, we can demonstrate an innovative form of town-gown partnership that not only addresses climate action but also positions us to tackle broader challenges such as economic development and affordable housing in the years ahead.
Northwestern University stands ready to serve, and I invite the city’s leadership and residents to accept our offer of partnership.
Michael Schill,
President of Northwestern University
Letter to the editor: Northwestern can help make the Healthy Buildings Ordinance better is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.