What exactly is sustainability, and why should we care? Sustainability and the reasons why communities like Estes Park should care were the focus of “Climate Smart – Future Ready,” a lunch-and-learn knowledge break on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the Harmony Library in Fort Collins. The event included Jason Damweber, Estes Park’s deputy town administrator, as a panelist.
Broadly defined by Jacob Castillo, Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Fort Collins, sustainability is a unified approach to balancing environmental, social, and economic priorities, which he refers to as the “triple bottom line” – people, the planet, and prosperity.
Damweber told the audience that he oversees workforce housing, childcare services, facilities, information technology, and risk management, and serves as the staff’s liaison for the environmental sustainability task force. While Estes doesn’t have an official “sustainability officer,” Damweber was tasked to lead the local initiatives when Larimer County began pursuing greater sustainability efforts.
“The panelists and the municipalities we represent face many common challenges, and we can learn from each other’s experiences and approaches to problem solving through a collaborative approach,” Damweber wrote in an email to the Estes Valley Voice.
Damweber joined the panel, along with Castillo, Heidi Pruess, the Larimer County sustainability and climate manager, who led the discussion, and Brett Stewart, assistant to the city manager of the City of Loveland.
Each panelist discussed the most significant sustainability issues in their communities, highlighting common problems such as natural disaster mitigation, waste management, renewable energy transitions, resource availability, affordability, and funding challenges, as well as the need for flexible and sustainable integration across departments.
The speakers also addressed the need for flexibility in a changing world and the importance of collaboration among local and state entities.
“We need to all partner together, not just in northern Colorado, but across the state and across the nation to make sure that we can actually achieve the emissions goals that the state requires,” Stewart said. “That’s how you solve this, being partners and not working in an island.”
Damweber identified Estes Park’s top priorities as establishing a climate action plan, integrating sustainability principles into the Town’s development code, which is currently being rewritten), mitigating floods and wildfires, and supporting affordable renewable energy initiatives.
He also highlighted the importance of both formal partnerships with the County, a global network organization of local governments for sustainability known as ICLEI, and the Platte River Power Authority, as well as informal partnerships with local nonprofit groups, such as the League of Women Voters, which he said are crucial to achieving Estes Park’s sustainability goals.
Damweber predicted that within five years, “We’ll be way ahead of where we are now with the continuing efforts of PRPA, with our work with the County on our own organizational climate action plan, and then regionally with Climate Smart Future Ready.”
According to Damweber, emissions, including those from stationary energy sources and vehicle emissions, are higher per capita in Estes Park than in any other municipality in the County, including unincorporated areas. He said that the two most significant sustainability issues Estes Park faces are the additional energy usage and solid waste emissions generated by tourists. The Town collaborates with the PRPA, the County, and ICLEI to gather information and data, developing strategies to address the issues.
“We are uniquely situated in Larimer County and the region in light of the sheer number of visitors we have coming into town each year to enjoy all we and Rocky Mountain National Park have to offer,” Damweber wrote to the Estes Valley Voice.
Castillo emphasized the need for sustainable integration between climate, economy, and social equity across multiple city departments, and shared that Fort Collins has set ambitious goals for carbon neutrality by 2050, an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and to move to 100% renewable electricity.
Stewart said that Loveland just recently committed to sustainability, but needs a stronger centralized action plan and is acting on limited resources, creating a necessity for support from groups like ICLEI.
The panelists concluded that achieving meaningful progress requires striking a balance between ambitious goals and realistic measures, engaging in both formal and informal partnerships on projects, and involving the broader community.
Damweber told the Estes Valley Voice that he hopes those who attend the panel “gained a better understanding of all the work we are doing and how challenging it can be to balance and address the myriad issues we face, especially with respect to sustainability vis-a-vis reliability and affordability related to energy use.”