At the intersection of the environment and local government, language matters. Until recently, most municipalities used the words “environmental protection” and “department of the environment.” These terms implied regulatory restrictions and a separation of green concerns from how cities operate. The new word is “sustainability,” and the title of the person in charge is “chief sustainability officer.” Such terms encompass more than their predecessors. Jobs, economic growth, and livability are now part of the equation. In many cities, the function is integrated into virtually everything the city does. Karen Weigert is the City of Chicago’s first chief sustainability officer (CSO), appointed by mayor Rahm Emanuel when he took the helm of the nation’s third largest city in 2011.
After three years, Weigert proves this role goes beyond mere words. Chicago was ranked ninth globally in “Hot Spots 2025: Benchmarking the Future Competitiveness of Cities,” a report released in 2013 by the Economist Intelligence Unit (New York was the only other American city in the top ten). The city’s financial sector, projected growth rate, government effectiveness, quality of healthcare, attraction to immigrants, and flight connectivity all won it points, but the Windy City ranked number one in the US for environmental governance and an ability to deal with environmental challenges, which heavily factored for public transportation and water quality.