Climate Protection Fund

In Colorado, all tax initiatives must be voted on by the people; neither local government nor the state legislature can raise tax rates without voter approval.  In early 2019, Resilient Denver, a resident-led grassroots organization, successfully mounted a signature effort to put an energy tax on the 2019 ballot; the proposal would levy a tax based on the electricity and natural gas used by all Xcel Energy customers in the City and County of Denver and was projected to raise $30-$40M per year. Through a deliberative process with Mayor Michael Hancock and City Council, Resilient Denver tabled its ballot measure, providing time for the city to create a Climate Action Task Force and the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR).

The Climate Action Task Force, appointed by Mayor Hancock, began deliberations in January 2020 and published its recommendations report in early July, just as CASR became an official Office (you can read more about the Task Force here). The Task Force explored a number of financial mechanisms to raise the funding needed to advance Denver’s climate action and sustainability goals and determined by consensus that a sales tax would be less regressive than a tax on energy consumption. In Denver, food, water, fuel, medical supplies, and feminine hygiene products are exempt from sales taxes, and 70% of sales taxes are paid by non-Denver residents (e.g., regional and out of state visitors), further reducing the burden on those least able to pay.

The Task Force presented its recommendations to the City Council in August 2020, and that same month Council President Jolon Clark sponsored Council Bill 20-0684 to put the sales tax on the November 2020 Ballot. The bill passed the City Council on a vote of 11-2 and became Ballot Measure 2A. (You can watch the debate here and find the final bill here.)

Employees of the City and County of Denver are prohibited from commenting for or against any ballot initiative or candidate during election season, so advocacy for the 2A ballot measure was led by a coalition including The Trust for Public Land, National Resources Defense Council, Conservation Colorado, Sierra Club, Healthier Colorado, Denver Streets Partnership, The Nature Conservancy, Councilman Jolon Clark, and Resilient Denver.

In November 2021, CASR presented the Climate Protection Fund Five-Year Plan to the Mayor, City Council and the Sustainability Advisory Council. This plan outlines the investment strategy for the fund, its focus on equity, our framework for stakeholder engagement, and the financial outlook for the next five years.

As noted in the plan, hundreds of stakeholders contributed to its development and our commitment to engaging with our colleagues, external partners, and residents will continue.

Read the Five-Year Plan

Leer el Plan a Cinco Años(PDF, 8MB)

Leer el Resumen Ejecutivo(PDF, 5MB)

The Climate Protection Fund was created by City Council Bill 20-6084, and lists six categories of allowable uses, as follows:

• Job creation through local workforce training and new careers for under-resourced individuals in clean energy technology and management of natural resources.

• Increased investments in solar power, battery storage, and other renewable energy technology.

• Neighborhood-based environmental and climate justice programs.

• Adaptation and resiliency programs that help vulnerable communities prepare for a changing climate.

• Programs and services that provide affordable, clean, safe and reliable transportation choices, like walking, biking, transit, electric vehicles, and neighborhood-scale transit.

• Upgrade the energy efficiency of homes, offices and industry to reduce their carbon footprint, utility bills, and indoor air pollution. 

The bill allows the fund to support “one-time opportunities and catalytic projects” but also that the fund “should, over the long term, endeavor to invest fifty percent (50%) of the dedicated funds directly in the community with a strong lens toward equity, race, and social justice.”

This site will be updated as funds are disbursed listing each project or program that is funded under these categories.

The City and County of Denver officially distributes public solicitation documents - Bids and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) - through the BidNet Direct Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (RMEPS). 

April 2021 - Climate Protection Fund Info Session for Non-profits & Community-Based Organizations

• Meeting Recording (English) *Due to technical difficulties, the beginning of this meeting was not recorded. Introductions are not included in this recording.
• Meeting Recording (Spanish)
• Presentation(PDF, 390KB)
• Mentimeter Results(PDF, 5MB) *These are the results of polling we did with participants during the meeting.
• Questions & Answers(PDF, 249KB) *Not all questions were able to be fully addressed during the meeting, so our team put together this document.

The Sustainability Advisory Council’s (SAC) primary functions are to:

• Provide advice and recommendations to the staff of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (CASR) for advancing the city’s ambitious climate goals and effective implementation of the Climate Protection Fund’s 5-year strategic plan.
• Assist CASR in connecting with the people, communities, businesses, and institutions it serves.
• Promote and communicate the principles of sustainability broadly among the community and stakeholders.

Learn More about the SAC

Subscribe to our newsletter to receive updates on the process; make sure to select "Climate Protection Fund" from the list.

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For specific questions or inquiries about the Climate Protection Fund, please email us at sustainability@denvergov.org.