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Sustainable cleaning products company Method intends to build the world's largest rooftop farm at its Chicago manufacturing plant. The plant was designed by William McDonough + Partners and is expected to achieve LEED-platinum certification.

Shareholder pressure to phase out Styrofoam has not kept McDonald's from using foam cups in several Chicago-area restaurants this summer, though the company would not say where else it may be using them. The chain said it continues "to work with our suppliers on sustainable packaging options that reduce our sourcing footprint and positively impact the communities we serve."

the Chicago-based aviation giant reported that it is stepping up efforts to expand the use of sustainable aviation biofuel by seeking U.S. Federal Aviation Administration approval for its aircraft to fly on "green diesel." The proposed new source of aviation biofuel emits at least half the lifecycle carbon dioxide as traditional petroleum-based jet fuel, according to Boeing.

Chicago is using a data-driven energy benchmarking system to monitor its buildings' energy use and emissions, helping officials make targeted improvements and boost energy efficiency. Boulder, Colo., meanwhile, has implemented America's first carbon tax, raising $1.8 million a year for energy efficiency and public transit projects.

Panera Bread will transition to 100% cage-free eggs over the next five years, the company said Thursday. Panera will also stop sourcing pork from pigs raised with gestation crates and roasted turkey from birds raised with antibiotics, and boost the amount of beef that comes from grass-fed, free-range sources by the end of this year

The USGBC recently released its 2015 Top Ten States for LEED list, naming the U.S. states that lead the nation in sustainable building design, construction, and transformation. For the third year in a row, Illinois topped the list of total square feet of LEED-certified space per resident.