Climate Change and the Great Lakes

We must drastically slow the production of the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change and concurrently help the Great Lakes region retain the natural balance needed to endure.

The Nature Conservancy is bringing science, partnership and the tools needed to swiftly advance smart policies, implement transformative projects on the ground and in the water, and compel people to act and lead. We can secure a resilient future for the Great Lakes so that generations to come judge this moment as the inflection point for climate action.

How We Get There: Reduce Emissions to Slow Change

To turn the tide on climate change, we must rapidly and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The good news is that there are many solutions to help us achieve that goal.

Smart Policies for Alternative Energy Production

The states of the Great Lakes region differ from each other in countless ways, yet one commonality is the opportunity for smart alternative energy production. While the deployment of solar and wind energy is on the rise, ensuring that growth happens in a way that is productive while limiting disruption to natural systems is critical. The Great Lakes region is home to a myriad of treasured and rare habitats and species that are core to local cultures and economies, including a $7 billion annual commercial fishery.

We are bringing lessons learned and resources from other states such as the Site Wind Right tool to our work in the Great Lakes region. We aim to help communities speed up the creation of comprehensive plans, access the science needed to thoughtfully site wind and solar developments, and purchase energy that maximizes benefit and reduces risk.

To get there, we are establishing relationships with leaders who understand the need for a rapid transition and ensuring policies balance the benefits of renewable energy development with habitat conservation.

Local Roadmaps and Reports Paving a Renewable Future

Include and Engage Diverse Communities

Dubbed “the most equitable climate law in America,” a bipartisan majority of Illinois lawmakers passed legislation in 2021 designed to help meet the state’s 100% clean energy by 2050 goal. Armed with the first-of-its-kind climate assessment for the state, developed by TNC, we worked behind-the-scenes in support of this legislation which has unique provisions to deliberately engage more diverse communities in the transition to renewable energy.

How We Get There: Help Nature Adapt

A significant part of the climate solution equation is all around us: nature. When we conserve and connect areas that are key for species migration and movement, plant trees and grasses, protect and restore forests, use sustainable farming practices and a host of other actions that help nature, we are pushing back against climate change.

Engage People Closest to the Land

In Minnesota, TNC is leading a Trees, Water, Soil campaign to increase understanding of the role people and nature can play to slow and avoid some consequences of climate change. Working with partners from high school students and farmers to forest landowners and Indigenous leaders, we are using the power of nature itself to make a difference. For example, efforts to plant native hardwood trees along streams that flow to Lake Michigan is a race against time to save brook trout from warmer waters. These slower-growing trees also store carbon, further abating climate change.

Reducing emissions through a thoughtful transition to clean energy and helping nature adapt as the climate changes are connected imperatives. For example, research by TNC and others demonstrates that nature-based solutions provide up to 37% of the emission reductions needed by 2030 to keep global temperature increases under 2 degrees Celsius.

When we bring together bold policies, science-driven projects and people-centric actions, we can meet the moment together and ensure people and nature thrive.