On Friday, October 26, 2007, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn delivered the keynote address for the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council�s 2nd Annual Sustainable Cities Symposium, hosted by the City of Elgin at The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way. The symposium was designed to facilitate communication among cities and explore new ways for cities to reduce their environmental footprint.
More than 230 representatives from 45 cities across the state attended the daylong symposium, alongside county officials, park district directors, college students, professors, architects and concerned citizens who discussed sustainable practices that can be implemented locally.
�I salute all the cities that are represented here today for realizing the importance of making their community more sustainable,� said Quinn, who chairs the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council. �By joining with the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council and greening our neighborhoods we are not only providing environmental benefits, but also economic, social, and health benefits.�
The symposium featured presentations on: the Cool Cities initiative � a grassroots movement to help solve global warming by reducing carbon emissions at the local level; Green Urbanism and Chicago�s Green Alley program, which utilizes the city�s many alleyways to conserve natural resources and improve water quality; the �Rain Gardens for Rock Island� program and a stormwater utility fee that were implemented by the city of Rock Island to manage stormwater; and sustainable transportation and land use.
�We have a diverse group of people here today with one significant priority in common,� Quinn said. �We know that sustainability begins with us, right here in our own communities. We must all adopt a green way of thinking that inspires society to pursue a cleaner and greener environment.�
Symposium organizers were pleased with the turnout of the 2nd Annual Sustainable Cities Symposium, which tripled its attendance from last year.
�The response we have gotten from the cities has been incredible,� said Jamie Caston, one of the symposium organizers and policy advisor to Lt. Governor Quinn. �So many cities have taken the initiative to become more environmentally friendly, and it�s great to see communities making sustainable practices a priority.�
On October 17, 2007, Public Act 95-0657 was enacted, which charged the Illinois Green Government Coordinating Council with working with state agencies to develop policies that reduce pollution, incorporate conservation, and promote green policies into government operations.