In June of 2006 CCA launched a new initiative with the Department of Environment (DOE) aimed at helping to make Chicago the "Greenest City in the Nation."

After conducting an assessment of DOE, which highlighted the need for the Department to define measures of success, to align stakeholders to those measures, multiple initiatives were undertaken.

Environmental Scorecard
CCA helped the Department identify key goals that indicate environmental progress, and developed an environmental scorecard for the City based on these. The priorities outlined in the scorecard were used to realign DOE projects and priorities, and then were used to align the environmental efforts of all City Departments.

Project Management
Recognizing that the Department of Environment carries out much of its work on a project-basis, CCA and our partners helped DOE develop and implement project management and portfolio management tools.

Partners

  • Deloitte Consulting

Green Business Strategy
CCA and its partners helped to develop a comprehensive strategy for encouraging local businesses to adopt green practices. As part of this effort, CCA convened a 17-member Business Advisory Group, chaired by CCA Board Member Bob Wislow.

Partners

  • Bain & Company
  • Mercer HR Consulting

Zero Waste Strategy
Each year, about 3 million tons of waste are generated in Chicago and sent to area landfills. In collaboration with the Department of Environment and Mayor’s office, CCA and its partners are developing a strategy for reducing and recycling waste from each of the core materials in the Chicago’s waste stream. These recommendations are now the center of the City’s waste reduction initiative.

Partners

  • BCG

"I gained a much greater understanding of how the city government works together, the problems facing both our country and our city, and the effects that the business community has on the environment. I feel that there is great opportunity to make Chicago a flagship city in the fight against global warming, and am working on an "additional 10%" case now to help educate other business people on the subject as well."
--CCA Partner Consultant
"The case provided ample opportunity to develop my "traditional" consulting skills. But perhaps more importantly, I feel really fortunate to have had the opportunity to engage in the thought and strategic planning processes with the CCA and the City of Chicago regarding sustainable environmental change for area businesses. It was very rewarding."
--CCA Partner Consultant
"The three-way partnership…was really effective. Each entity brought a unique set of skills and experiences to the table, but in the end we shared the common goal of making Chicago a greener city. That cohesiveness and leveraging of diverse capabilities played a key role in the creation of strategy."
--CCA Partner Consultant