CHICAGO — Chicago will adopt the guidelines of the Paris Agreement in an effort to combat climate change, Mayor Rahm Emanuel ordered Wednesday.
Emanuel criticized President Donald Trump for withdrawing from the agreement, saying the Republican president's action amounts to a "reneging on a consensus with 196 countries on environment protections."
Emanuel's order came as he opened the three-day Chicago Forum on Global Cities, designed to give him a chance to showcase Chicago to mayors from around the world and spotlight international issues that effect residents of the Windy City.
The Paris Agreement calls for member nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Emanuel's order notes that "Chicagoans are already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change locally with the frequency of heavy rainfall events doubling since the 1970s."
Chicago will also begin measuring its greenhouse gas emissions, Emanuel ordered.
Trump said the United States would exit the agreement in 2020 because it favors other nations over America and hurts the ability of American companies to create jobs.
Emanuel, who served as former President Barack Obama's first White House chief of staff, has long touted his commitment to environmental causes, including a promise to power Chicago's nearly 900 public buildings with renewable energy by 2025.
In addition, Emanuel forced two coal-fired power generation plants to close and imposed a 7-cents per bag fee to reduce litter. In addition, Chicago's carbon emissions by 7 percent from 2010 to 2015, despite an increase in population, the mayor's office said.
Read Emanuel's executive order:
2017-1 Executive Order - Paris Accord Copy by Heather Cherone on Scribd
