Welcome to the Burlington Climate Action Plan Website!

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.

In early 2008, the City realized the need to update the current plan to continue our efforts towards fighting global warming.  As garnered during the first step in the update process the city as a whole generated close to 370,000 tons of CO2 in 2007, while the city government emitted over 21,000 tons of CO2 in 2007. On September 18, 2008 over 70 people gathered to hear the results of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions inventory. That day 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.

In the Fall of 2008, over 100 city staff and citizen volunteers, divided into eight workgroups, developed over 178 strategies that the city can take to reduce its GHG emissions. These strategies are now being evaluated and quantified by Springhill Solutions, a Burlington-based energy efficiency and renewable energy firm. This cost-carbon benefit analysis will be completed by the end of January 2010 and we hope that the new Climate Action Plan will be available to the public for Earth Day in April 2010!

This website is intended to provide everyone the opportunity to learn about what the City is doing to help fight Climate Change, but also provide meaningful information for residents and businesses to also TAKE ACTION themselves!