Abstract

In 2007, Denver unveiled its Climate Action Plan and set a greenhouse gas reduction goal to reduce emissions by 10 percent per capita below 1990 levels. Denver is on track to meet this goal and continues to be proactive in reducing city-wide per capita emissions. However, the planet is warming and the resulting effects have the potential to harm Denver’s social, economic, and environmental sectors. Along with mitigation practices aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Denver must address and prepare for the impacts of climate change already occurring and those projected to occur, in order to prosper in the future. Supplementing Denver’s Climate Action Plan, the Climate Adaptation Plan offers collaborative strategies to adapt to a future climate with higher temperatures, more extreme weather events, and changes to annual snowpack. Denver recognizes climate change as a defining issue of the 21st century and remains committed to facing the challenges of a changing climate through preparedness, forward thinking, and cost-effective strategies. Denver strives to not only be one of the greenest cities in the nation, but also one of the most innovative and climate resilient cities in the face of rapid climate change. The objectives of the Climate Adaptation Plan are to prepare, mitigate, and plan for risks associated with the following potential climate impacts to Denver:

1. An increase in temperature and urban heat island effect
2. An increase in frequency of extreme weather events
3. Reduced snowpack and earlier snowmelt