Thank you to Durango City Council for holding a public hearing on sustainability, particularly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In 2021, council passed Resolution R-2021-71 to reduce communitywide GHG emissions by 50%, achieve 50% renewable electricity by 2030, and reach 100% GHG emission reduction and 100% renewable electricity by 2050.
At this point, we are not on target to meet the 2030 goals, though with aggressive measures, we can meet the 2050 goals. We need the city to prioritize its commitment to reducing GHG emissions and increasing its use of renewable energy.
The two largest sectors responsible for our GHG emissions are energy consumption in buildings and transportation. The city should focus on electrification, energy efficiency in buildings and transportation by expanding transit and mobility services, making it safer to commute by bike, strengthening electrification and energy-efficiency requirements in our building codes, and expanding incentives for energy efficiency and electrification.
We need to fund these greenhouse gas reduction projects. We also need to explore more energy performance contracts, which significantly reduced GHG emissions and were budget-neutral. GHG emissions are pollution, and we all need to do our part to reduce this pollution. City councilors, please take immediate and decisive action to meet our GHG emission and renewable electricity goals. We do not have time to waste.
Gail Harriss
Durango
