The document reports on sustainability initiatives and achievements in 2013 by Colorado city, including reducing carbon emissions and electricity use, receiving several sustainability awards, and making progress on 11 sustainability goals such as decreasing fuel consumption and increasing recycling. It also discusses partnerships with China and the United States to reduce carbon emissions and upcoming partnership opportunities in the city.

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November 17, 2014
Dr Rosemarie Russo, Sustainability
Coordinator

2. Sustainability
Sustainability is the balanced
stewardship of human,
financial, and environmental
resources for present and
future generations.

3. Colorado Impacts
 Shorter and warmer
winters, with thinner snow
pack and earlier runoff
 Severe weather events
 Widespread beetle
infestation (3.6 millions
acres in CO & WY)
 More wildfires, burning
twice as many acres each
year than before 1980

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2013 Highlights
 Total carbon emissions are down 7.6%
 Carbon emissions from electricity are down 9.4%
 Carbon emissions per square foot have decreased by 4
metric tons
 Conventional fuel use is down 19%
 Electricity use for water and wastewater production is down
5.6%
 Electricity use from traffic signals is down 42%
 Well Day participant health claim costs were 33% lower than
non-participants

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Local and National Awards
 Fifth consecutive Platinum level ClimateWise Award
 Environmental Purchasing Leader in the Office Depot
National “Greener Purchasing” Awards
 3-STAR Community rating in the Sustainability Tools for
Assessing and Rating (STAR) Community Program
 Gold Leaf Award for Outstanding
Arbor Day Programs
 Platinum Bicycle Friendly
Community by the League of American
Bicyclists
 Robert Havlick Award for
Innovation in Local Government

6. +
ClimateWise Platinum Partner
Achievements
 Supported 54 new solar sites with the Solar Rebate Program
 Converted 56 golf carts from gasoline to electric
 Generated $600,000 by selling recycled asphalt, concrete
and soils
 Recycled 4,000 cubic yards of mulch
 Donated 6,150 pounds of fresh produce to the Food Bank
of Larimer County from the Garden of Eatin’, and 2,467
pounds through the Plant it Forward Program

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Along with
continued progress
in the City’s
Sustainability
Goals!

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Goal 1: Carbon
 Municipal emissions were reduced by 7.6% below 2005
baseline levels
 Implemented 12 Innovation Fund projects
 Monitored municipal carbon performance measures for
Community Dashboard
 Updated the “Green It, Mean It” website
 Includes periodic progress reports
 Management reports
 Successes
 Tips and Resources
“A society grows
great when old men
plant trees whose
shade they know
they shall never sit
in. “
Greek Proverb

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Goal 2: Electricity and Natural Gas
 Emission changes between the 2005 baseline and
2013 was a decrease of 1,115 MT CO2e
 Through a partnership with ENERGY STAR, staff
measured and tracked energy performance of 70 City
facilities.
 Wastewater Treatment Plant is working with the State
of Colorado to achieve a 15% reduction in overall
energy usage.
 Employed integrative design to
coincide with capital upgrades
at Senior Center.

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Goal 3: Fuel Reduction
 Purchased and installed four
bicycle repair stations
 Hosted Bike-to-Work Days and
competitions which collectively
saved $6,014 and avoided
16lbs. of CO2e
 Purchased 3 Nissan Leafs and the first
Compressed Natural Gas dump truck.
 Started operation of MAX Bus Rapid Transit
 A national test community in conjunction with the
Electrical Vehicle Coalition
 Began eco-driving training program for City
vehicles that can potentially save 100,000 gallons
of fuel and $300,000 in operating costs

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Goal 4:Waste Reduction and
Recycling
 Staff conducted recycling audits at 18 facilities
 Forestry and Sustainability Services offered holiday tree
recycling for the public at three locations
 Recycled industrial waste led to $96,000 savings
and a 45% decrease in materials sent to the landfill since
2012.
 FC Police performed two Drug Take-Back Day events which
concluded in 1,967 pounds of over-the-counter and
prescription drugs

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Goal 5: Education and Outreach
 Conducted 10 engagement challenges in 2013 with $864,341 in
saving and 4,003 MT CO2e in reductions
 The Environmental Services, Economic Health and Utilities
Departments, along with the Colorado Clean Energy Cluster,
hosted the second annual Net Zero Cities Conference, featuring 70
speakers from 15 countries.
 Garden of Eatin’ Education Program hosted seed to table
programs throughout the growing season.
 Offered 630 courses through the Talent and Rewards Program.
“When one tugs as a single thing in
nature, he finds it attached to the rest of
the world”
John Muir

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Goal 6: Funding
 An Innovation Fund of $100,000 was available for innovative
improvements
 The Sustainability Scholarship Program has awarded 84
employers up to $800 for sustainability trainings,
conferences, certifications, etc.
 In 2013, 24 proposals were received and 12 projects funded
through the City’s Internal Innovation Fund

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Goal 7: Parks/Natural Areas
 Lee Martinez Park was recertified as an “Audubon Sanctuary”
 Visitation to the parks and trail system exceeded three million
in 2013
 The Forestry Division planted 323 trees
 Natural Areas sponsored 41 service projects involving 920
volunteers who donated 2,878
hours, a value of $63,719
 Natural Areas collaborated to
successfully reintroduce
Northern Redbelly Dace
and removed the abandoned
Josh Ames diversion structure.

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Goal 8:Water
 The Parks Department developed a Drought Response Plan.
 ESD, Operation Services and Utilities conducted water audits
at municipal buildings and Parks Water Conservation Team
audited five sites
 Building water use has been reduced by 40% and irrigation
use by 10%

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Goal 9: Sustainable Purchasing
 Selected as a Leader in Green Purchasing for Local Government
Sectors by Office Depot
 Completed Implementation of Sustainable Purchasing Policy
 Mandated the purchase and use of 30% post-recycled content
(PRC) paper
 In 2013,
 16% of industrial purchases met sustainable criteria
 43% of office purchases met sustainable criteria

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Goal 10: Employee Safety and
Health
 Developed the Hazard Reduction Fund
and awarded six projects
 93% of employees participated in the
Mayo Clinic Health Assessment totaling
1,282 employees
 More than 1,000 people attended the
Wellness Fair
 More than 781 employees participated in
2013 Well Days Incentive Program
 The program has resulted in 33% lower
health claim costs for participants vs.
non-participants

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Goal 11: Local Food
 Parks, Social Sustainability and
Neighborhood Services constructed four
community gardens
 1,034 vegetable seedlings were
donated to organizations and individuals
growing food for low-income
populations
 The City joined LoCo Foods Distribution
as a buyer, allowing wholesale
purchasing of locally grown or made
products.
 Students at Rocky High and Webber
Junior High School helped harvest crops
at On the Vine CSA
“Let food by thy
medicine and
medicine thy food”
Hippocrates

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Climate Action Plan Update
 Strategies document by RMI
 Outreach to 15+ Advisory Boards and community groups
 TBL Analysis
 Council Letters of Support
Reduce emissions 30% below 2005 by 2030 and
reach neutrality by 2050

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China and United States
 As part of the agreement, Mr. Obama announced
that the United States would emit 26 percent to 28
percent less carbon in 2025 than it did in 2005.That
is double the pace of reduction it targeted for the
period from 2005 to 2020.
 China’s pledge to reach peak carbon emissions by
2030, if not sooner, is even more remarkable.To
reach that goal, Mr. Xi pledged that clean energy
sources would reach 20% by 2030.
Non-binding

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Partnership Opportunities
Mindful Movie Series
Biz ED “Best of 2014”
Dec 18, 2014
Senior Center (3 – 5 PM)
Bike To Work (Winter)
Dec 21,
2014
Webber Junior High (7-9 AM)
Research: Executive Order, China/US Accord,
Road to Paris, DENC