State and Local Initiatives
State Initiatives
Colorado’s Climate Action Plan
“Global warming is our generation’s greatest environmental challenge. The scientific evidence that human activities are the principal cause of a warming planet is clear, and we will see the effects here in Colorado. But the seeds of change are also here in Colorado, in our scientific and business communities, and in each of us individually.
“This Colorado Climate Action Plan is a call to action. It sets out measures that we in our state can adopt to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases by 20 percent by 2020, and makes a shared commitment with other states and nations to even deeper emissions cuts by 2050.” - Governor Bill Ritter, Jr.
Executive Orders
On April 22, 2008, Governor Ritter issued the following executive orders on climate change:
- Executive Order D 004 08 establishes reduction goals for greenhouse gas emissions (20 percent by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050, both from 2005 levels); directs the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to develop regulations mandating the reporting of greenhouse gas emissions; and requests the Public Utilities Commission to require each utility under its jurisdiction to submit electric resource plans that include an analysis showing how the utility could achieve a 20 percent reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions from 2005 levels by 2020.
- Executive Order D 010 08 establishes an agricultural sequestration offset program.
- Executive Order B 007 08 establishes a Colorado Climate Advisory Panel.
Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment’s Climate Change webpage
Colorado is in the process of developing a strategic plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is working with the Governor’s Policy Office, the Governor’s Energy Office, and the Department of Natural Resources to identify and implement the initiatives most suitable to Colorado’s resources and economy.
Colorado’s GHG Inventory
Do you want to know more about what causes greenhouse gas emissions in our state? Read the Colorado Greenhouse Gas Inventory
The State of Colorado is also a founding reporter to The Climate Registry. The Climate Registry establishes consistent, transparent standards throughout North America for businesses and governments to calculate, verify and publicly report their carbon footprints in a single, unified registry.
Local Initiatives
Several communities in Colorado have developed local climate action plans and are implementing strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Here are some resources for local initiatives:
ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection
The Cities for Climate Protection® Campaign is an ICLEI program that engages cities, towns, and counties in reducing the pollution that causes global warming. The CCP Campaign began in 1993.
http://www.iclei.org/index.php?id=1118
US Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center
The U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Center launched on February 20, 2007 in recognition of an increasingly urgent need to provide mayors with the guidance and assistance they need to lead their cities’ efforts to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are linked to climate change.
http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/
Presidents Climate Commitment for Universities
http://www.presidentsclimatecommitment.org/html/commitment.php
Colorado’s participants:
- Adams State College, David P. Svaldi, President
- Colorado State University, Larry E. Penley, President
- Community College of Denver, Christine Johnson, President
- Fort Lewis College, Brad Bartel, President
- Metropolitan State College of Denver, Stephen M. Jordan, President
- Naropa University, Thomas Coburn, President
- University of Colorado at Boulder, G.P. “Bud” Peterson, Chancellor
- University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Pamela Shockley-Zalabak, Chancellor
- University of Colorado Denver and Health Sciences Center, M. Roy Wilson, Chancellor
- University of Denver, Robert D. Coombe, Chancellor
- Western State College of Colorado, Jay W. Helman, President