Partnerships
The Climate Action Plan Team thanks its partners for helping with the update work thus far.
ICLEI- Local Governments for Sustainability
ICLEI is a membership association of local governments committed to advancing climate protection and sustainable development. Since its inception in 1990, ICLEI has grown to include over 1,000 cities in the world, more than 550 of which are in the United States. ICLEI USA’s mission is to build, serve, and drive a movement of local governments to advance deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and achieve tangible improvements in local sustainability. Burlington has been a member of ICLEI since 1996.
The Urban Sustainability Directors’ Network
The USDN is a group of sixty-five sustainability directors, from cities and counties in the U.S. and Canada, who share ideas, lessons learned, and best practices to promote sustainability. Burlington, and the Legacy Project, is a founding member of this group. The USDN came together for the first annual Urban Sustainability Directors Network (USDN) gathering in Chicago on September 2009. Funded by the Surdna Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Blackstone Ranch Institute, the USDN was formed to enable public sector sustainability leaders to learn from each other and accelerate achievement of ambitious city sustainability goals.
Climate Communities
Climate Communities is a national coalition of cities and counties that is educating federal policymakers about the essential role of local governments in addressing climate change and promoting a strong local-federal partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Climate Communities is working to ensure that the federal government: Recognizes and enhances the critical role of local governments on climate change; Provides the funding and incentives needed to achieve local climate change progress; Ensures that national carbon control laws and regulations provide opportunities and incentives for local solutions to climate change challenges; and Helps localities address and pay for any new mandates imposed on communities. Burlington has been a member of Climate Communities since 2008.
Resources
Local
Waste Management
Solid Waste
Chittenden Solid Waste Department
Chittenden Solid Waste District’s mission is to provide efficient, economical, and environmentally sound management of solid waste generated by residents and businesses within its member towns and cities of Chittenden County.
Recycling
ReCycle North/ReSOURCE
ReCycle North/ReSOURCE is an organization established in 1991 to help those is transition with job skills, technical training and more opportunities while reducing the amount of reusable and repairable items in our landfills.
Composting
Chittenden Solid Waste Department
In Chittenden County, food scraps account for nearly 33% of most people’s trash. Although these materials are not technically “recyclable,” they can be composted!
Earth Girl Composting
Earth Girl Composting will provide customers with a five-gallon bucket. They will pick up your full bucket weekly, biweekly or monthly, leave customers an empty clean bucket and deliver their waste to Vermont Compost Company and/or Intervale Compost Products.
Energy
Electricity
Burlington Electric Department
Burlington Electric Department shares the values of the residents who have voted for energy efficiency programs, who have supported a clean power mix and who have expressed a desire to move forward into the 21st century in a manner that is sustainable and will provide future generations the chance to enjoy Burlington and its beautiful resources as the current generation does.
Efficiency Vermont
Efficiency Vermont provides technical assistance, rebates, and other financial incentives to help Vermont households and businesses reduce their energy costs with energy-efficient equipment, lighting, and approaches to construction and major renovation. Additionally, Efficiency Vermont partners extensively with contractors, suppliers, and retailers of efficient products and services throughout the state.
Natural Gas
Vermont Gas
Vermont Gas provides reliable, high quality, competitive, clean and safe natural gas service to as many Vermonters as is economically feasible while balancing the expectations and needs of their customers, shareholders, employees and the community.
Buying Food Locally
Burlington Food Council
The Burlington Food Council is an open community group exploring ways to ensure that Burlington creates and nurtures a healthy, equitable and sustainable food system for all members of the community.
The Intervale Center
The Intervale Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop farm- and land-based enterprises that generate economic and social opportunity while protecting natural resources.
City Market/Onion River Co-Op
City Market provides a critical service to the residents of Burlington and the larger community by providing conventional, organic and local products at a fair price to all.
Burlington Farmers’ Market
Every Saturday morning from May to October, buy local produce straight from our local farmers at City Hall Park.
Transportation
Campus Area Transportation Management Association (CATMA)
The American Red Cross, Champlain College, Fletcher Allen Health Care and the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, are all located adjacent to each other and share a common land area of less than one square mile known as the "Hill" or Campus District. CATMA plans for, develops, and manages all transportation and parking programs, infrastructure, and associated facilities.
Chittenden County Transportation Authority (CCTA)
CCTA promotes and operates safe, convenient, accessible, innovative and sustainable public transportation services in the Chittenden County region that reduce congestion and pollution, encourage transit oriented development and enhance the quality of life for all.
The Way to Go! Commuter Challenge
The Way to Go! Commuter Challenge encourages Vermonters to try smarter ways to travel in their commutes, like carpooling, biking, and public transportation. Participants pledge to use these alternative transportation methods for one week in May. This year’s challenge is from May 16 - 24.To learn more about registering, click here.
Old Spokes Home
Old Spokes Home was founded in 2000 and since then has thrived on the eco-minded practices of recycling. The shop takes all sorts of bikes from the area and refurbishes them to be sold in order to keep the community more sustainable.
Local Motion
Local Motion is a member-supported non-profit organization forging a culture of active transportation and recreation in northwestern Vermont.
CarShare Vermont
Founded in 2007 by a group of local people who share a common vision for our community, CarShare Vermont is a nonprofit organization that recognizes car sharing as a practical, easy, and fun way to reduce car dependence, increase mobility, and improve the health of our community and environment.
Tools
Calculating your Carbon Footprint
Global Footprint Network
How much land area does it take to support your lifestyle? Take this quiz to find out your Ecological Footprint, discover your biggest areas of resource consumption, and learn what you can do to tread more lightly on the earth.
Reducing your Carbon Footprint at Home
The 10% Challenge
Started right here in Vermont by the Climate Action Alliance, the 10% Challenge is a voluntary program to raise public awareness about global climate change and to encourage households and businesses to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10 percent.
The Kitchen Table Collaborative
The Kitchen Table Collaborative is challenging Burlington, VT community members to reduce their carbon footprints by 10%. Do Your Part unites the efforts of individuals around the country to address global warming. Their interactive mapping feature lets you join your local community effort and efforts of groups around the country. Their carbon calculator provides the tools you need to understand your current carbon footprint and then set goals to reduce your impact. Their tracking tool displays progress in real time towards individual and community goals. Do Your Part is a great way to get involved in the effort to stop global warming.
Energy Audits
Burlington Electric Department
The Burlington Electric Department offers a free energy audit service that hundreds of customers take advantage of each year. Their Energy Efficiency Specialist can talk with customers over the phone or will visit with them to explain your energy bills, review the energy usage of your heating, hot water and large appliances, lend you an appliance meter if appropriate, and offer specific recommendations to help reduce their energy usage.
Vermont Gas
Vermont Gas Systems’ strong belief in energy efficiency is a key component of the company’s operating principles. As part of its commitment to the efficient use of energy, Vermont Gas has offered “Demand-Side Management” (DSM) programs to both residential and commercial customers since 1992. This includes audits and incentives for energy efficiency upgrades.
Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
CVOEO Weatherization is the local service provider for Vermont’s Weatherization Program in the Champlain Valley of Vermont, including Addison, Chittenden, Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. This includes audits and subsidized weatherization for eligible participants.
Non-profit Organizations
VECAN
VECAN helps start and support town energy and climate action committees in their efforts to save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance renewable energy projects.
The Climate Group
The Climate Group brings together an international network of greenhouse gas reducers--corporations, governments, and organizations--to share experience on profitable emissions-reduction strategies and link promising solutions with appropriate financing.
Climate Solutions
Their mission is to stop global warming at the earliest point possible by helping the Northwest become a world leader in practical and profitable solutions.
The Climate Trust
Promotes climate change solutions by providing high quality greenhouse gas offset projects and advancing sound offset policy.
National and International Resources
Pew Center on Global Climate Change
The Pew Center on Global Climate Change's mission is to provide credible information, straight answers, and innovative solutions in the effort to address global climate change. Working on an issue that is often polarized and politicized, the Pew Center provides a forum for objective research and analysis and for the development of pragmatic policies and solutions.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Climate change is a problem that is affecting people and the environment. Greater energy efficiency and new technologies hold promise for reducing greenhouse gases and solving this global challenge. EPA's website provides information on climate change for communities, individuals, businesses, states, localities and governments.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Recognizing the problem of potential global climate change, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) established this Panel in 1988.Their role is to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change.
ICLEI-International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives: Cities for Climate Protection
ICCP is a campaign of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives. Offers a framework for local governments to develop a strategic agenda to reduce global warming and air pollution emissions, with the benefit of improving community livability.