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Climate Action Plan Strategies & Resources

Meeting Boulder's climate action goal requires everyone in the community to take action to change the way we use energy. The Community Guide to Boulder's Climate Action Plan serves as a roadmap for making these changes. The guide outlines reduction strategies for the factors that affect community greenhouse gas emissions: home and business energy use, transportation, solid waste, urban forestry and city operations.

Everyone in Boulder – residents, workers, students, business owners, visitors and policymakers – has a role to play in achieving the goal and helping combat global climate change. The City of Boulder has programs in six strategy areas to help the community reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most of them are funded by CAP tax or trash tax dollars.

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Reduce Use
The Plan:
• Retrofit existing buildings and replace appliances to improve energy efficiency.
• Promote energy-conserving behavior.
What You Can Do:
• Schedule an EnergySmart energy assessment for your home or business.
• Receive rebates for pursuing SmartRegs compliance for rental housing.
• Receive rebates for energy effiency measures through EnergySmart
• Pledge to reduce your business's energy use by 10 percent through 10 for Change.
• Contact Xcel Energy for energy efficiency rebates.
• Contact Boulder County for weatherization services.
• Visit Recharge Colorado through the Governor's Energy Office for more options for energy efficiency grants and rebates.

build_better
Build Better
The Plan:
• Maximize opportunities for energy efficiency in new buildings.
What You Can Do:
• Learn about the Green Building and Green Points program for commercial and residential construction.
• Receive green building training through the Boulder Green Building Guild.

renewables
Renewables
The Plan:
• Promote use of renewable energy sources for individual buildings and sites.
• Increase renewable sources in our regional energy supply.
What You Can Do:
• Nonprofits and residents in affordable housing may be eligible for grants for solar PV or solar thermal projects.
• Receive a sales and use tax rebate for solar PV or solar thermal systems.
• Participate in Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards or Windsource programs.
• Learn about carbon offsets through the Colorado Carbon Fund.

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Travel Wise
The Plan:
• Increase the percentage of trips made by transit, bike, and walking.
• Encourage the use of low-emission vehicles.
What You Can Do:
• Map the bike or bus route most convenient to you.
• Learn about employee commuting programs through GO Boulder.
• Donate your time and earn a bicycle from Community Cycles.
• Neighborhoods and businesses can receive Eco Pass subsidies.

waste_not
Waste Not
The Plan:
• Reduce and move toward eliminating the amount of waste going to landfills.
What You Can Do:
• Participate in curbside composting and single-stream recycling at home.
• Get three months of free recycling and a rebate on composting collection for your business.
• Be certified as a zero-waste business through Partners for a Clean Environment.
• Learn about the 6400 Arapahoe future waste reduction facility.

grow_green
Grow Green
The Plan:
• Plant more trees and protect the existing urban forest.
What You Can Do:
• Visit the City of Boulder Urban Forestry section for tree resources.
• Learn about notable local trees through the Colorado Tree Coalition.
• Help the Mile High Million program plant one million trees.
• Properly care for trees in your yard or on your commercial property.

Back to the Boulder Climate Action Plan Summary

Last Updated on Monday, 23 July 2012 09:16