The Burlington Climate Action Plan (CAP) re-write process is in full speed. Over 70 community members and city employees gathered on September 18 at City Hall to hear the results of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory. The City of Burlington generated close to 430,000 tons of CO2 in 2007, while the city government emitted over 24,000 tons of CO2 in 2007. To view the inventory results, click here.

Mayor Kiss also announced the City's reduction targets which we hope to reach with the implementation of the new Climate Action Plan (CAP). We hope to reduce our emissions by 80% below 2007 levels by 2050 and/OR by 20% below 2007 levels by 2020.

GIVE US YOUR INPUT!
Please provide us with your input on the work of our eight CAP workgroups. Use the comment sheet below to share.

CLIMATE ACTION PLAN Objectives and Action Items:

• Policy, Research, and Education
• Energy Efficiency in Buildings
• Transportation, Telecommunications, and Access - City Government v. Community-Wide
  
• Renewable Energy Resources
• Waste Reduction and Recycling
• Forestry and Carbon Offsets
• Local Garms, Gardens and Food Production

• ALL GROUPS RECOMMENDATIONS
  

When did it all start? In 1996, the City Council voted to participate in the “Cities for Climate Protection” campaign organized by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI). In 1998, the City Council passed a second resolution that set a target for the year 2005 of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in Burlington by 10 percent below 1990 levels. The first Climate Action Plan (CAP) for the City was adopted in 2000 and is available for viewing on the Burlington Electric Department's website here. How Can I Get Involved? There are several ways for Burlington residents to get involved with the CAP update process: Join one of the seven workgroups - sign up below! Policy, Research, and Education Energy Efficiency in Buildings Transportation, Telecommunications, and Access Renewable Energy Resources Waste Reduction and Recycling Forestry and Carbon Offsets Local Garms, Gardens and Food Production Send us an email or fill out our feedback form with your comments and inquiries! The workgroups will meet several times during the fall, starting in late August. Each workgroup will develop and prioritize initiatives and actions to be included in the Climate Action Plan. A Note on Global Warming and Climate Change Global warming is happening because the natural insulation in our atmosphere that protects us from outer space and keeps Earth's temperature in balance is getting too dense. This is happening primarily because the way we currently produce energy creates too much carbon dioxide and other invisible gases that float up into our atmosphere and thicken Earth's natural insulation, throwing off the planet's built-in thermostat. When we created an energy system last century based on burning oil, gas, and coal we didn't know that the pollution from these fuels would be harmful to the Earth's health. Now we do. Scientists tell us that the carbon pollution and other heat trapping gases we emit today will linger in the atmosphere until our grandchildren are adults – so the sooner we act, the more likely we can get a handle on the problem. Global warming is a challenge for business, government, and individuals alike. Learn More Visit these links to learn more about global warming/climate change and the impact of greenhouse gas emissions. ICLEI-USA: http://www.iclei-usa.org/ EPA: http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/ BusinessGreen.com: http://www.businessgreen.com/ Clean Air – Cool Planet: http://www.cleanair-coolplanet.org/ Greenopolis: http://greenopolis.com/ All comments and feedback will be sent to the Climate Action Plan rewrite team at the City of Burlington. Your Name Your Email Address Daytime Phone Number I am Interested in the Following Workgroup(s) Policy, Research, and Education Energy Efficiency in Buildings Transportation, Telecommunications, and Access Renewable Energy Resources Waste Reduction and Recycling Forestry and Carbon Offsets Local Food and Agriculture Comments and Feedback Image Verification Please enter the text from the image [ Refresh Image ] [ What's This? ] Burlington Legacy Project: A Vision for a Sustainable Burlington Questions about the Legacy Project should be directed to the Burlington Community and Economic Development Office at 802-865-7144 A City of Burlington website

The City of Burlington waterfront Let us Hear from You! The CAP update needs input from everyone who lives, works, and plays in Burlington.  Please email us or fill out our feedback form with your comments, suggestions, questions, or to learn more about the Climate Action Plan. CAP Update Timeline Spring 2008 Conduct a baseline emissions inventory and forecast. This phase is currently being implemented by City of Burlington staff and will continue through summer. Please visit this site again for more details on the results of the inventory. Summer & Fall 2008 Development of the Burlington Climate Action Plan July & August Formation of seven workgroups led by members of the E2C2 and Municipal Team. August to November Development of initiatives and actions to be included in the Climate Action Plan, by the seven workgroups.   December 9, 2008 Legacy Town Meeting – Public input on the workgroup recommendations. Winter & Spring 2009 Final drafting and adoption of the 2009 Climate Action Plan by City Council.