Winnetka homeowners are the biggest piece of the village's carbon puzzle. More than half of all greenhouse gas emissions in the village come from residential buildings, and the Village Council just gave itself a formal roadmap to bring those numbers down.
The council voted unanimously on Tuesday, July 21, to adopt Winnetka's first-ever Climate Action Plan, a 19-measure framework targeting a 40% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions below 2022 levels by 2040. The measures include building retrofits, efficient lighting upgrades, electric vehicle purchases, and tree planting across four focus areas: buildings and energy, transportation, waste, and land and forestry.
Village Sustainability Manager Elyse Steiner presented 2022 emissions data showing residential buildings account for 55% of the village's total output. Transportation follows at 23%, commercial buildings at 16%, and a combination of industrial, institutional, and waste sources make up the remaining 6%.
That's the starting point.
For homeowners along Green Bay Road, in Hubbard Woods, and in the lakefront neighborhoods near the Metra UP-N stations, the building-retrofit and energy-efficiency measures will land closest to home.
What the plan does
The plan establishes three core elements: a historic emissions baseline using 2022 data, time-bound reduction targets, and specific strategies to hit those targets. KERAMIDA, an environmental consulting firm the village hired in summer 2025, led the plan's development. Residents provided input at a public open house in December 2025.
Village President Bob Dearborn described the plan as aspirational and meant to serve as a guide in coordination with community partners, naming the Winnetka Park District and Winnetka District 36 Schools.
Steiner called the 40% target realistic and ambitious, noting it is comparable to neighboring communities' goals. The reduction is expected to come from both the plan's measures and broader electric grid decarbonization.
What comes next
The village's Environmental, Forestry and Sustainability Commission, with Trustee Kim Handler serving as the council's liaison, will work with the village manager's office to identify and prioritize initiatives. Those proposals will return to the Village Council for individual approval, though no timeline for the first batch has been announced.
A public dashboard on the village website will let residents track progress toward the plan's goals.
Not every trustee thinks the targets go far enough. Trustee Scott Myers, while supporting the plan, said at the July 21 meeting: "I think we can be more aggressive here. I think that I look for [the EFSC] to push us, and I think us to push ourselves, to live up to the commitment that we made to the residents."
The full Climate Action Plan is available at winnetka.org.
North Shore government week ahead
Tuesday, August 4, 7 p.m.: Winnetka Village Council regular meeting. Village Hall, 510 Green Bay Road, Winnetka. Agenda available at winnetka.org.
Monday, August 10, 7 p.m.: Glencoe Zoning Commission/Board of Appeals meeting. Glencoe Village Hall. Agenda available at villageofglencoe.org.
