Dear NRDC Supporter,

This fall, the state of Illinois passed the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) into law — one of the most comprehensive pieces of climate legislation ever. It includes a path to 100 percent carbon-free energy by 2045 and an unprecedented focus on workers and equity.

The passage of this game-changing law is a remarkable feat in a state where just a decade ago, less than 2 percent of its power came from renewable energy sources. So you might be wondering: how did they do it?

The answer could provide a roadmap for other states seeking to accelerate the shift to clean energy: they built it from the ground up. A broad coalition of groups — from businesses and organized labor to faith-based organizations and youth-led climate groups — went deep into communities across the state to ask, "What do you want to see out of this transition?"

Their efforts produced a sea change in how Illinois will power itself moving forward. Learn more about how this diverse coalition came together to pass this landmark climate legislation at NRDC.org!

Part of what makes CEJA such a dramatic — and positive — departure from past efforts is the law's emphasis on the communities that historically have been most impacted by fossil fuels, including workers, low-income residents, and residents of color. That's because frontline communities shaped the law and fought to ensure equity was at the center of CEJA.

"Growing up, I thought that ... everyone's neighborhood was filled with factories and semi-trucks," said Adelina Avalos, the state director for the Illinois Youth Climate Movement. Avalos says she threw herself into the fight for CEJA because it was one of the first pieces of legislation she'd seen that actually addressed the longstanding environmental racism she'd witnessed growing up on Chicago's highly industrial and predominantly Latino Southeast Side.

We've done a deep dive into the history behind this formidable coalition and the incredible climate action it's pushing forward — check it out here.

- NRDC