Denver announced its commitment to act on climate change and became the 73 city in the United States to go 100 percent renewable energy by 2030. The announcement came from Mayor Michael Hancock who said cities have a major responsibility to act on climate change.
“Climate change threatens our people directly, putting our health, environment and economy – our very way of life – at risk,” Hancock said in a report by The Denver Post. “Though cities account for only two percent of land globally, they are responsible for more than 70 percent of carbon emissions,” he wrote.
The city’s commitment will have municipal facilities source their electricity from wind and solar by 2025 with a goal set for 2030 that Denver’s electric grid will be 100 percent renewable energy.
According to The Denver Post, Denver is now the tenth municipality in Colorado to commit to 100 percent renewable energy and a non-coastal leader against climate change. Its commitment is “part of the city’s larger 80×50 Climate Action Plan, which seeks to reduce Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2050,” EcoWatch reported.
In Denver’s 80×50 Climate Action Plan, which Hancock revealed on Tuesday, will reduce Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent from 2005 levels by the year 2050,” EcoWatch reported.
The city along with the rest of the state recently adopted California’s strict vehicle emissions standards. And Denver’s broader goal is to reduce transportation admissions overall. The city aims to have electric-operated taxis and light-duty vehicles and carbon-free public transportation by 2050.
Denver’s buildings emissions will also change requiring new construction “emit net zero energy by 2035,” EcoWatch reported, and reduce commercial buildings’ emissions by 50 percent come 2050.
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