Seven Generations Ahead Focuses on Connections at 25 Years

Seven Generations Ahead Takes a New Leap Towards Climate Solutions

Having clocked a quarter of a century in operation, Seven Generations Ahead, a sustainability organization, is diving into a pivotal new chapter. Under the leadership of founder and executive director Gary Cuneen, the entity aims to broaden its role as a bridge between communities and climate resolutions.

Focusing on Climate, Equity, and Long-term Impact

With its core principles deeply entrenched in local and regional sustainability, Seven Generations Ahead has persistently stressed the importance of climate, equity, and long-lasting effects in all its endeavors. The organization’s future strategy involves linking both public and private entities with plans that not only reduce expenses but also meet greenhouse gas reduction targets, foster community benefits, and promote broader sustainability objectives.

According to Cuneen, “It’s really about identifying resources, connecting our institutions with partners operating in the clean energy and broader sustainability space, and driving these solutions forward. We’re in this interesting period, of course, with the federal government funding cutbacks, which requires us to dig in stronger and harder at the local level. There are tremendous opportunities for mainstream institutions to take action.”

Part of the organization’s role, Cuneen explains, involves aligning institutions with suitable collaborators and projects that are tailored to their specific needs. This also includes helping them access the essential resources to execute those projects.

Digging for Resources Amid Funding Limitations

“Our current federal administration is denying climate change, so they are not providing funding resources. I think part of our job, honestly, is to parse out what is still available. We’re doing that with respect to federal incentives and funding programs established in previous administrations, and helping our institutions take advantage of those opportunities,” states Cuneen.

Despite the phase-out of federal tax incentives through the Inflation Reduction Act for onsite solar tax credits by July of this year, institutions still have viable avenues to pursue, according to Cuneen. Battery storage credits continue to be available and can be combined with solar projects to generate high returns and significant cost savings.

“It’s putting some of these opportunities in front of our municipalities now, as well as community institutions. One of the challenges is that there is a lot of information out there and many different types of projects and approaches. We are working with institutions that, by nature, are designed to do what they are intended to do for K–12 schools, that is, to educate children,” Cuneen adds.

Creating Pathways for Local Governments

Local governments have a slew of responsibilities, including public safety and everyday services such as sanitation and street maintenance. Cuneen notes that the focus on building partnerships and connecting institutions with practical climate solutions has laid the groundwork for broader collaborative efforts across the region.

C4 Initiative: A Testament to Public-Private Partnerships

One such collaborative endeavor is the C4 initiative, launched around 2022, which embodies the concept of public-private partnerships. It’s led by the mayors of Broadview, Oak Park and River Forest, the Urban Efficiency Group, and Seven Generations Ahead. The initiative deepens coordination among communities, governments, nonprofits, and private sector partners.

Oak Park Village President Vixki Scaman explains that when C4 began, it started probing ways to bolster partnerships across neighboring communities, government agencies, nonprofits, and private companies. “We believe that we would have a greater influence in receiving grant dollars and discretionary funds from our state legislators and in advocating for the broader group with companies like ComEd, NICOR and others for support in this venture,” says Scaman.

Mapping Sustainability Goals for Communities

Upon a community’s entry into C4, the initial step involves meeting with Cuneen and Urban Efficiency Group CEO Darnell Johnson to assess its current standings. Scaman notes that they meet communities where they are — whether they’re just starting sustainability efforts or have been engaged for years — and assist them in developing a roadmap based on their specific needs and goals.

Seven Generations Ahead’s Role in Bridging Sustainability Gaps

Many institutions lack adequate staff to consistently keep track of advancements in sustainability, particularly in underserved areas. This is where Seven Generations Ahead steps in, serving as an extended sustainability director across communities, thus delivering information and opportunities that support local residents and stakeholders.

“It’s connecting youth to some of the initiatives we’re doing with adult leaders in our community institutions and also providing them with the capacity to advocate for climate solutions in their local schools and communities. That’s a big piece for us moving forward,” says Cuneen.

Mission for the Next Decade

Cuneen envisions the success of Seven Generations Ahead over the next ten years as being reflected in the volume of greenhouse gas emissions curtailed through strategies related to energy efficiency, clean energy, and composting, among other efforts.

“We are hoping to expand the number of communities in our cross-community climate collaborative. … We want to get more mayors involved,” says Cuneen.

In addition to engaging more mayors and communities in their initiative, the organization plans to equip them with the tools necessary to take action. This includes aiding not only municipal governments, but also other institutions in implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Encouraging Community Participation

“There are so many different organizations that are advancing solutions and working in these different spaces and I would encourage people to get connected to those organizations. There are many ways to volunteer, do internships, and support existing organizations and initiatives and we have a lot of that in the Chicago metro area that have been working on these issues for quite some time, like us,” concludes Cuneen.