ABSTRACT
As an initial member of ICLEI’s Urban CO2 Reduction Project (see Chapter 3), Denver, Colorado has more than a decade of experience with climate protection. This chapter examines Denver’s involvement in the CCP programme and considers whether, and how, participation in the network has shaped the development of climate protection policy. To this end, we focus on Denver’s experience in implementing climate protection measures through energy management initiatives within the City’s1 own operations and in the transport sector. Denver, which is located in the heart of the Rocky Mountain Region of the western US, is one of the fastest growing regions in the country, with a population of 554,636. It is also the centre of a much larger metropolitan area consisting of nearly 2.5 million people (Figure 8.1). While its roots are in gold mining, Denver has transformed into a regional commercial and transportation centre. Denver’s natural environment is a key part of the city’s identity and its citizens have historically supported initiatives designed to protect that environment. We find that while this context has facilitated Denver’s ability to take up the CCP programme, the City still faces a number of obstacles in making meaningful progress in controlling greenhouse gas emissions within its jurisdiction. We conclude by considering the implications of these findings for understandings of how the governance of climate change takes place.
