Colorado’s climate is changing, and the impacts are being felt everywhere, including in Superior. Local governments have the ability to address climate change and the challenges it poses in an efficient manner. Climate efforts across towns and cities result in a combined impact of reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, cleaner air and a healthier community.
Most recent data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) indicates that global surface temperatures will continue to increase until at least the mid-century. Global warming of 1.5°C to 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades.
Recognizing that the climate in Superior will change over time, there are two ways the strategies of this plan address climate change:
- CLIMATE MITIGATION aims to reduce the flow of carbon emissions and other heat-trapping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere by either reducing the sources of the gases or enhancing the sinks that store these gases.
- CLIMATE ADAPTATION focuses on adjusting to the changes in climate we know will take place and aims to reduce vulnerability to the harmful effects of climate change.
In 2016, Boulder County completed a county-wide GHG inventory, which reports emissions from each municipality, sector and source. The total GHG emissions for Superior was 109,834 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (mtCO2e) and accounts for two percent of Boulder County’s total emissions. The average emissions per Superior resident is 8.3 mtC02e, the lowest for all municipalities in Boulder County.
