Denver's Climate Action Plan: Demonstrating Local Leadership on Climate Change Mitigation

In 2007, Denver released its first publicly available greenhouse gas inventory and climate action plan. The climate action plan set a GHG reduction goal of 10% per capita by 2012 (from 2005 baseline levels). Denver relied mainly on GHG reduction strategies that were within its span of control, though state and/or federal actions were anticipated to contribute as well by 2012. Denver updated its GHG inventory in 2007 and will do so again for 2009. Denver is on the glide path to meeting its 2012 goal due to a good balance of local and state mitigation strategies. While federal strategies to reduce near-term GHG emissions have not yet been developed, ARRA stimulus funding for Denver and Colorado are helping to accelerate and expand the scale of mitigation activities already underway. Since the inception of this project, Denver partnered with the University of Colorado at Denver (UCD) to assist in the development of the GHG inventory and to analyze the potential impacts of a wide variety of mitigation strategies. This partnership has been very cost-effective and has provided valuable real-world experience for up-and-coming young professionals. This partnership has led to spin-off partnerships that allow smaller local governments to take advantage of this world-class resource (UCD). Overall, Denver and other local and state governments are showing the world that mitigating climate change can be accomplished in the absence of national and/or international policies.