The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) held a work session on March 4, 2025, focusing on the county's greenhouse gas emissions report and future climate action initiatives. The meeting highlighted significant findings from the report, which indicated a 22% increase in total regional emissions from 2019 to 2023, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current policies.

Key discussions centered around the lag time between policy implementation and observable impacts on emissions. Commissioners noted that while certain sectors, like building codes, have longer timelines for change, others, such as transportation, could show more immediate results. The installation of vehicle counters was mentioned as a step toward obtaining better data on transportation impacts.

Commissioner Francie Jacober praised the clarity and presentation of the emissions report, emphasizing its importance in understanding the county's environmental challenges. The report revealed that while cleaner electricity contributed to a 2% decrease in building emissions, transportation and waste emissions continued to rise. Without significant changes to current practices, these emissions are not expected to decline.

The meeting concluded with a discussion on the next steps, including public outreach and collaboration with various stakeholder groups. The county plans to present a climate action plan in the following week and has secured additional funding for a greenhouse gas inventory focused on county operations. This inventory aims to enhance the county's efforts in reducing emissions and addressing climate change.

Overall, the session underscored the urgency of addressing greenhouse gas emissions in Pitkin County and the need for ongoing evaluation of policies to achieve long-term sustainability goals.