Legacy Project

What is a Climate Action Plan?

A climate action plan is a detailed and strategic framework for measuring, planning, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and related climatic impacts. Municipalities design and utilize climate action plans as customized roadmaps for making informed decisions and understanding where and how to achieve the largest and most cost-effective emissions reductions that are in alignment with other municipal goals. Climate action plans, at a minimum, include an inventory of existing emissions, reduction goals or targets, and analyzed and prioritized reduction actions. Ideally, a climate action plan also includes an implementation strategy that identifies required resources and funding mechanisms.

View Burlington's Climate Action Plan and Burlington's most recent emissions data

District heating is one of the many recommendations noted in the Climate Action Plan.  The latest district heat study (see below) was jointly conducted by the University of Vermont, Fletcher Allen Health Care, and the joint owners of the McNeil Generating Plant. 

 

Burlington’s Climate Action Plan is comprised of over 200 strategies to reduce our green house gas emissions.  

These strategies fall into 8 key sectors, presented in the chart below.  

For details  see pages 21-24  of the Climate Action Plan. 

 

Burlington’s greenhouse gases come from 4 main sources.  The largest is transportation. 

What can Burlington do to reduce the impact of travel and how can you help?