Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force

Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force

The Naperville Environment and Sustainability Task Force is a group of Naperville residents working together for clean energy in Naperville. We are recognized Task Force of the City of Naperville.

As a whole, we generally meet on the 3rd Monday of each month, and our focused committees meet independently. Please read more about them at Committees and volunteer with our effort.

Mission

The Naperville Environment & Sustainability Task Force assists, informs, and advises City government and Naperville residents and businesses to identify, prioritize, and implement sustainability initiatives and greenhouse gas reduction, with the goal of creating a sustainable, resilient, carbon-free future for Naperville.

Time for Some Fun!

Please join NEST this December 18 for an end of the year gathering. You've worked hard all year on making our community more sustainable. Now is the time to relax, get to know folks on other NEST committees, and rejuvenate for 2024. Please bring a snack or dessert to share and a nonperishable food item for Loaves & Fishes. There will be games and prizes! 

Monday, December 18, 2023, 6:30-8:00 PM


Naperville Municipal Center

Meeting Rooms A/B

400 S Eagle St., Naperville

Kitchen Table Decisions, Meaningful Carbon Reduction

As we face daunting pollution and climate challenges, we can greatly increase the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy in our homes and in our transportation.  We have the technology and incentives we need to make these key changes to deal with the climate crisis.  Approximately 42% of greenhouse gas reduction in the United States will result from “kitchen table” decisions, such as which car to buy or how to heat and cool your home. Learn which decisions have the biggest impact and how you can save money.

About Tom: Tom Coleman is a native of Boston, Massachusetts and he currently lives in Naperville.  Tom’s career has spanned manufacturing, information technology, strategic planning, human change management, and process improvement disciplines.  Before moving into the sustainability space five years ago where he now works on environmental, social, and climate education, Tom was a Chief Information Officer for 25 years.  

 

Tom joined the Climate Reality Project in 2019 and he received his Climate Reality Leadership Corps training in 2020.  He now leads the Chicago Metro Chapter as Chapter Chair and is the leader for the electric vehicle campaign.

 

Tom is a member of NEST and the Electric Vehicle Association.  He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration, is a Certified Change Management Professional, and has two certifications as a Business Process Master.

Naperville residents show up to demonstrate support for transitioning off of coal to clean energy

Climate change, pollution, and economic trends all point to a need to transition off of coal to clean energy, but Naperville and its electricity supplier, IMEA, have not yet made a clean energy transition plan. Speakers at the September 25 meeting and the over 200 residents in the audience are asking for such a plan. Together we can reduce our carbon emissions while ensuring clean, afforadable electricity. 

Please watch the video of the meeting, and then join us in our efforts. You can start by writing City Council - guidelines are here.  

This meeting was the outcome of the work of many coalition partners, demonstrating wide support for an end to coal. Organizers of the event included NEST, Citizens Climate Lobby-Naperville, League of Women Voters of Naperville, Citizens Climate Lobby-Naperville, Sierra Club Beyond Coal Campaign. Ten additional organizations participated as supporters, including local environmental, clean energy, and climate action groups.

Media Coverage of Naperville's Coal Problem

Scope of work

Education

Educating Naperville citizens about environmental issues and their impact is a core initiative of NEST. Community awareness, understanding, and consensus about environmental issues is critical towards getting policies passed and political representatives elected that have the goal of stopping pollution, climate change, and other environmental issues. NEST also works to educate individuals and organizations they can take to lower their own climate and environmental impact.

Political Advocacy

As a task force of the City of Naperville we have the purpose of informing city staff and politicians about what actions they can take to improve the quality of life in Naperville by taking environmental actions. Our committees work on creating plans and policies that are then communicated to the city and other environmental stakeholders like utilities and waste management companies. 

Priorities

See our 2036 page to learn more.

More News

NEST Youth Team Participates in Volunteer Fair

NEST Youth team (NESTY) recently had the opportunity to participate in the KidsMatter volunteer fair at Fort Hill Activity Center. NESTY leader, Emma Orend, spoke to attendees about getting involved in climate action and was able to signup several new members. We also spread the word about NEST's high school environmental challenge, BLAST. The event was covered by local news channel NCTV17.

October Community Meeting - Learn About NEST and How to Get Involved

NEST has many committees working to make Naperville a sustainable, low-carbon city:


NEST leaders provided updates on our activities and objectives during the first part of the meeting. Afterwards, at an open house, attendees met with members of each committee, asked questions, and learned how you can get involved.

Participants also took action by writing a letter to City Council.

NEST featured in Naperville Magazine

NEST was featured in the September 2023 edition of the Naperville Magazine! Please note that the correct date for our September meeting is September 25 at 7:00pm and not September 15 at 6:30pm as-listed in the magazine.