Environmental, Justice & Health Groups Urge Denver Mayor and Council to Act Boldly on Climate, Environmental Justice, and Clean Air

DENVER – Environmental, racial justice and health organizations today welcomed the upcoming inauguration of Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and urged him to work with City Council and regional experts to build on the city’s environmental successes with bold action addressing climate change, environmental justice, air pollution, healthy homes and buildings, cleaner transportation, and renewable energy. To-date, the Johnston transition team has convened a broad group of stakeholders, including representatives from many of the organizations here, in transition committees to help inform and collaborate with the administration on key issues. 

The organizations issued this joint statement:

“Mike Johnston is off to a running start, setting a positive tone for his administration to deliver compassionate, clear-eyed, and common-sense results for Denver residents. The list of environmental challenges facing Denver is long--we need to clean up the air, boost building efficiency and electrification, expand safe transportation options for students, commuters, and older residents, ensure equitable access to electric vehicles, and speed the transition to renewable energy, to name just a few--and we're eager to tackle them with Johnston as mayor, and the City Council as partners. We hope, and trust, they will advance policies providing equal access and equal benefits to everyone in Denver, prioritizing underserved communities that suffer worst and first from the climate crisis.”

The groups also note that Denver already is a proven national climate leader through the design of Climate Protection Fund programs, the development of Energize Denver to reduce emissions from existing large buildings, and a rapid build-out of bike infrastructure.

Yet, skyrocketing summer temperatures, extreme weather events, historic wildfires, and worsening unhealthy air pollution make it clear more can and should be done. The impacts from those climate-related hazards fall disproportionately upon underserved communities that bear the brunt of air pollution, traffic fatalities, high costs, and extreme heat, the groups said.

As Mayor Johnston begins his term, the organizations urge bold action, beginning with quick appointment of directors with a strong commitment to climate action, including in the Climate, Transportation, Parks, and Community Planning departments. A shared vision between departments and collaboration with the City Council is critical to make progress on top climate priorities citywide. The mayor must also ensure equity and environmental justice are embedded throughout the city’s climate work, including by hiring additional environmental justice-focused staff who can proactively engage with underserved communities.

Denver’s climate leadership demands strong action across sectors, with the greatest impact achieved by leveraging synergies and intersectional opportunities. The organizations urge the new administration to begin taking action immediately in these areas:

Buildings

• Phase out fossil fuels in new residential buildings, following new code requirements for commercial and multifamily buildings. Prevent hydrogen blending into the gas system.
• Improve energy efficiency including by expanding programs for low-income homes, like the Healthy Homes pilot. 
• Facilitate the transition to all-electric appliances, including through Climate Protection Fund and federal rebate programs for heat pumps.
• Elevate health and equity programs. Ensure disproportionately impacted communities, low-income residents, and Denver Public Schools have access to cooling and adaptation to extreme heat. Proactively engage communities.

Transportation

• Reduce vehicle trips by improving safe, clean, and affordable mobility options. Fully fund transit and expand transit service. Invest in innovative multimodal programs including ¡Viva! Streets and shared streets.
• Electrify vehicles. Commit to 100% electric light-duty City fleet and work with the Regional Transportation District to transition to all-electric buses.
• Improve transportation safety and fully invest in achieving Vision Zero.
• Encourage housing near transit by allowing more types of homes and density.

Energy

• Achieve goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Work with Xcel and intervene at the Public Utilities Commission to accelerate investments in energy efficiency, and wind and solar, and to rapidly transition away from fossil fuels.
• Future-proof grid capacity. Develop a plan for grid reinforcement and distribution systems to meet electrification needs without burdensome costs to consumers.
• Prioritize disproportionately impacted communities. Work directly with Xcel to achieve justice for frontline communities through the closure of gas plants across Denver. 

Industrial 

• Reduce emissions from industrial polluters, including through collaboration with the state and advocating for the health of Denverites in AQCC proceedings.

The following representatives from organizations offered quotes and enthusiasm to work with the administration to advance strong and equitable climate policies: 

"The Johnston administration has a tremendous opportunity to build on Denver's success to ensure we meet our science-based climate goals, transition to 100% renewable energy, provide equitable access to building efficiency and electrification, and increase sustainable transportation options," said Alana Miller, Colorado Policy Director for NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council). “Denver residents consistently urge strong city action on climate and we’re eager to work with the incoming mayor to improve people’s lives.”

“Much of our membership of health professionals live in and treat communities in the Denver metro and are calling for swift solutions to our air quality crisis, and to help Denverites adapt to the realities of extreme heat and weather,” said Megan Kemp, Advocacy Manager for Healthy Air and Water Colorado. “We look forward to working with the incoming Denver administration to enact equitable solutions to the climate crisis in order to protect public health.” 

“Transportation is a top contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the Denver region and therefore must be central to this administration’s approach to meeting the moment on climate, air quality, and health,” said Molly McKinley, Policy Director for the Denver Streets Partnership. “We’re excited to support Mayor Elect Johnson and the Denver City Council in taking bold, timely action to address the needs of our city.”

​​"As health professionals and allies, we applaud Denver's initial work to help low-income people access the health benefits of home electrification and efficiency. We stand ready to support the new administration in elevating its commitment to equitably ending reliance on costly, polluting fossil fuels in its building and transportation sectors," said Lauren Swain, coordinator for PSR Colorado - Physicians for Social Responsibility.

“Air pollution and ozone across sectors has plagued Denver metro residents for over a decade. The Colorado Sierra Club is excited to get to work with the Johnston administration and new city council to expand on current GHG-reducing programs and pass ambitious climate policy to address air quality and connect our communities,” said Ramesh Bhatt, Conservation Chair for Colorado Sierra Club.

“The Johnston administration has an incredible opportunity to bring Denver new success and prioritize the air and water quality needs of our BIPOC residents. We must work as a collective towards meeting our important climate goals, but also prioritize the needs of all residents, especially those in marginalized communities,” said Portia Prescott, President of the Rocky Mountain NAACP Tri-State Conference (Colorado, Montana & Wyoming). “By transitioning to 100% building efficiency and electrification, and expanding clean transportation options, we can address the environmental injustices faced by our communities and improve the quality of life for everyone."

“Mayor Johnston and the city council face a range of pressing challenges including homelessness, housing affordability, and public safety, that all need to be tackled as we welcome new city leadership. Underlying many of these social and economic issues are longstanding environmental challenges and injustices that threaten to make Denver significantly less habitable and erode the economy of the region,” said Carlos Fernandez, Colorado State Director for The Nature Conservancy. "We look forward to working together with Mayor Johnston and the city council to prioritize equitable approaches to achieving climate goals in a way that advances environmental justice, improves air quality and human health, and enhances access to nature and climate resilience."

________________________________________________________________________________

NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Established in 1970, NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, Beijing and Delhi (an office of NRDC India Pvt. Ltd). Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.