Thread by @shayshinecastle

#Boulder is passing yet another climate resolution. documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocVie…

As you'll remember, the city recently switched up its focus and efforts to fight climate change. These new things are being incorporated into this new climate resolution.

boulderbeat.news/2021/06/12/bou…
(Pre-meeting story) boulderbeat.news/2021/06/05/bou…

Boulder's last climate resolution was in 2019, when they declared a climate emergency
dailycamera.com/2019/07/23/bou…

Missing from that resolution was any mention of what the city now calls systems-thinking: A look at what we *consume* and our policies that create emissions elsewhere, not just in the city.

From staff notes:

“Boulder’s current goals and targets guiding local climate action are insufficient. ... This resolution reflects the urgency and pace in which climate action needs to happen, both at the global and local scale. ...

... It also reflects that Boulder, as a more affluent community with a larger proportion of emissions and economic output per capita, should work to meet goals and targets at an accelerated pace."

Specific goals: “The city remains committed to reaching the community’s numerous quantitative and qualitative targets embedded across our energy, regenerative ecosystems, circular materials economy, land use, and financial systems work."

Some actual specific goals: Becoming a zero-waste city by 2025 and obtaining a 100% renewable electricity supply by 2030.

Another part of this resolution addresses how we need to deal with the impacts of climate change, bc they're happening now. And they'll only get worse.

"There is an increasingly urgent need to prepare for significant climate change disruptions and to address the inequities that climate change perpetuates," it reads.

Boulder spends ~2% of its budget on climate change,* slightly over $6M

*That's just from the climate initiatives dept. There is climate work woven throughout dif dept, programs and services, so the real figure is hard to calculate. And likely much higher.

Jonathan Koehn, interim director of climate initiatives: We're coming back to council next year with specific things we need to do in order to meet our "ambitious" goals.

"The next decade is going to require unprecedented changes in how our cities operate," Koehn says. "Our pathway may feel narrow and challenging, but it is feasible."

Should have dropped a link for that budget factoid. boulderbeat.news/2021/10/16/bou…

Unanimous vote to adopt this resolution (and everything else on consent agenda — nothing exciting).

@threadreaderapp please unroll. Thank you!