Pitkin County commissioners consider updating climate goals

Pitkin County is considering a proposal to bolster its climate reduction impact goals by 10% in order to align with the Paris Agreement — an international climate pact Pres. Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from in January.

The Climate Action Plan, presented during a Tuesday, March 11, Pitkin County Commission work session, was among the many steps that Pitkin County is taking toward reducing its share of greenhouse gas emissions, whether those emissions originate from commuter’s cars as they pass through Pitkin County, or from government vehicles and buildings that can be transitioned to cleaner energy sources.  

The county’s current Climate Action Plan, set in 2021, calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from 2019 levels by 90% by the year 2050. Commissioners and county staff on Tuesday discussed amending that goal to a 100% reduction by 2050 and a 65.3% reduction by 2030. 

That increased reduction goal is a result of attempting to reach a level of standardization across Colorado counties that are also trying to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 

Greg Poschman and fellow commissioners noted that these goals might be hard to reach. That, however, doesn’t mean that the Pitkin County Commission is opposed to adopting them. 

“These are goals,” Poschman said. “Doesn’t mean we’re going to get there, but we still have to keep aiming at that North Star.”

This work session laid out steps Pitkin County can take to hasten emissions reductions within the county. 

“We’re excited about evaluating and improving energy efficiency of all county-owned buildings, including our housing units.” Pitkin County Climate Action Analyst Michael Port said while presenting to Pitkin County commissioners. “That’s a great opportunity to practice what we preach and provide benefits for people in their homes.”

With emissions reduction efforts underway, the Climate Action Plan is attempting to unify those efforts under one umbrella as well as search for untapped areas that Pitkin County can utilize to further bring down greenhouse gas emissions. The plan also provides metrics that the county can use to measure their progress. 

The commission will revisit the proposal via informal one-read resolution on Wednesday, March 26, Commission Chair Kelly McNicholas Kury said.