Colorado Communities for Climate Action

Colorado Communities for Climate Action is a new coalition of local governments working to keep our state and its communities a special place to live, to work, and to enjoy, by reducing heat-trapping emissions that pose new, unprecedented risks to our localities and residents.

The local governments in CC4CA are leaders in tackling climate change, with strong local climate-protection goals and programs. But all Colorado communities with emission-reduction goals are grappling with the reality that local actions alone cannot achieve them. CC4CA members will keep working hard at the local level, but also need a better framework of state and federal climate policies to enable them to be more effective locally. That is why they have banded together in CC4CA, Colorado's first consortium of counties and municipalities focused on advocacy of state and federal actions providing the authorities, tools, and policy frameworks that communities need to reduce heat-trapping emissions enough to meet local goals and help stabilize our climate.

At its May 25 launch, CC4CA had nine founding members: Boulder County, Fort Collins, Boulder, Eagle County, Golden, Pitkin County, San Miguel County, Aspen, and Vail. Subsequently, Summit County, Telluride, and Mountain Village have joined, bringing the membership to 12. Already, the coalition represents one-ninth of all Coloradans. More local governments are considering joining CC4CA, and the coalition's numbers should grow further.

CC4CA is guided by a steering committee of representatives from its members, and administered by the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, a nonprofit group with 12 years of experience working with Colorado local governments on climate change policy. The coalition has retained Frontline Public Affairs to represent it before the General Assembly and other state and federal departments and offices, and is reviewing proposals from law firms to represent CC4CA before the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. Effective advocacy on climate matters at the state and federal levels is not possible without professional representation, and pooling resources through a statewide coalition is the most cost-effective way for local governments to achieve that professional representation.

Colorado Communities for Climate Action will develop and promote a comprehensive policy agenda, and is now beginning work to define its short-term and long-term priorities.