Climate Action Plan: Executive Summary

There is increasing scientific evidence that carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere will have a profound effect on the Earth’s climate, increasing the risk to municipal governments from increased extreme weather events, changing rainfall and crop productivity patterns, and migration of infectious diseases. It is a well-researched fact that the combustion of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases (GHG), namely carbon dioxide (CO2), into the atmosphere, causing global surface temperatures to increase. For Colorado, global warming will likely mean diminished snow pack, increased drought, more insect outbreaks in forests, an earlier and longer wildfire season, reduced habitat for native species, and less economic growth in certain industries, such as farming and skiing.

In May 2002, the Boulder City Council passed Resolution 906, also known as the Kyoto Resolution, setting the goal of reducing community greenhouse gas emissions to seven percent below 1990 levels by 2012. As a result of this resolution, staff in the Office of Environmental Affairs was directed to develop an action plan to serve as a roadmap to Boulder’s Kyoto goal. The overarching vision of the Plan is to develop a sustainable energy future for Boulder and Boulder County. The Climate Action Plan provides a framework to compare and analyze alternative strategies and policies, in order to facilitate Council’s review and the decision-making process. The Plan includes baseline data and emissions reduction strategies for all sectors— commercial, industrial, residential, transportation, and solid waste. It also addresses city operations, water conservation and urban forestry.

The Boulder emissions inventory was completed by Econergy International in 2004. City staff updates the inventory on an annual basis using electricity and natural gas consumption data from Xcel Energy, vehicle miles traveled, and solid waste sent to the landfill. The following table summarizes Boulder’s 2004 GHG emissions.

The city’s primary role will be to act as a facilitator, educator, and to promote market transformation for energy efficiency and renewable energy products and services. The plan outlines three primary strategies for reducing emissions: Increase energy efficiency; Switch to renewable energy and vehicle fuels; and Reduce vehicle miles traveled. Each section outlines overarching strategies and potential actions the city could take to reduce emissions. The plan concludes with an implementation plan that outlines specific actions to be implemented from 2007 through 2012 and quantifies the projected impacts, including estimated GHG reductions, public and private sector costs, private sector savings and the net cost per mtCO2e reduced.and its member cities.and its member cities. The annual total budget required to achieve these reductions ranges from $860,265 in 2007 to $1.98 million in 2012. The plan assumes that funds for marketing, outreach, and subsidies for critical services, such as energy audits, will comprise the majority of the budget. Significant funding for renewable energy purchases may be required in 2012 to cover an emissions reduction shortfall, thereby doubling the amount of funds needed in 2012, as compared to the average annual budgets for years 2007 to 2011.

Achieving the Kyoto Protocol Goal requires not only a substantial financial commitment, but also the dedication of staff resources and political will. While the city recognizes that Boulder’s actions are far too small to impact global greenhouse gas emissions trends and the progression of global warming, Boulder seeks to encourage other communities around the country and world to implement strong greenhouse gas emissions reduction programs, beginning with Boulder County and its member cities.