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Aspen Sustainability Action Plan approved
New plan serves as roadmap to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in Aspen

Aspen, Colo. – Friday, Feb. 24, 2023 – Aspen City Council unanimously approved an updated Aspen Sustainability Action Plan (ASAP) this week, which serves as a new roadmap to reach the community’s carbon goals.

The ASAP is the City’s guiding document for reducing Aspen’s greenhouse gas emissions 63.4% by 2030 and 100% by 2050. Those goals were formed around science-based targets when the Council signed on to the Race to Zero initiative in 2022.

The ASAP recommends 58 actions across five sectors of the community’s greenhouse gas emissions inventory: energy, buildings, transportation, waste and airport/aviation. The action items are prioritized based on level of impact and what can be implemented in the next five to seven years.  

The recommendations presented in the ASAP are the result of a year of work by the Climate Action team and dozens of key stakeholders and community leaders with expertise in sectors including energy, water, building science, transportation, waste, public administration and community development. This feedback represents the input of 17 organizations and five City of Aspen departments.

The ASAP replaces Aspen’s previous plan, the Climate Action Plan (CAP), which was approved by Council in 2017, and incorporates important updates such as the community’s new greenhouse gas emissions goals, the community’s newest greenhouse gas emissions inventory (2020), and stakeholder input on priorities and plan implementation.  

The plan is built on five guiding principles that are central to its implementation, including that it is equitable, adaptable, collaborative, within the City’s control of where it can make meaningful progress, and its objectives have co-benefits such as fostering economic sustainability and improving environmental quality.

“The key takeaways we learned in developing this plan is that, in order to successfully implement it and ultimately reach our goals, we need the community and the region’s collaboration and input on how we build programs, offer support, provide resources and change policies to be as responsive to community needs and priorities as possible,” said Tessa Schreiner, the City’s Sustainability Manager. “Regionalism is so important to tackle climate challenges and take full advantage of the opportunities that building a sustainable future offers, and we need to work fast and smart to address the climate crisis we are experiencing.”

The ASAP is designed to be a living document that adapts to and incorporates changing priorities, community feedback, and new opportunities. The plan will be updated annually to reflect new opportunities, resources, and community feedback, and City staff will report to Council each year on progress made towards the community’s greenhouse gas reduction targets, as well as make recommendations for small updates.

The approval of the ASAP is a vital step towards reaching the community’s and Council’s climate goals.

“If the community wants to get involved in the City’s climate efforts, the Climate Action Office would love to hear from you,” said Schreiner. “The only way we will reach our climate goals is if we have the community’s full support and involvement to drive progress forward.”

For more information, go to climate@aspen.gov.

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