Sustainability Resources

Denver is working to eliminate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from buildings by 2040. Since commercial and multifamily buildings account for 40% of community-wide GHG emissions today, achieving this goal will require rapid decarbonization of existing buildings, supported by a trained commercial building decarbonization workforce. By actively supporting the development of this workforce, Denver has a win-win opportunity to accelerate emissions reduction while creating high quality local job opportunities. This study was commissioned by the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resilience (CASR) and builds on a Beneficial Electrification Workforce Development Ecosystem Analysis completed in 2023 to:

• Characterize the existing commercial building decarbonization workforce and understand future need
• Identify gaps and barriers in existing workforce development pathways
• Develop equity-centered recommendations to address gaps and barriers.

View the report

The building energy efficiency and electrification industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for a skilled and diverse workforce, driven by efforts to transition towards cleaner and more sustainable energy sources while also elevating social equity. As communities strive to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change, the need for trained contractors to build and install clean energy infrastructure is greater than ever. This analysis was developed to understand related workforce challenges and opportunities in support of community climate goals.

This study was initiated by the Front Range Beneficial Electrification Network (FRBEN) and funded by the City and County of Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability & Resiliency (CASR) and Xcel Energy.

View the report

Within 30 years, hundreds of millions of people around the world will be forced to migrate due to climate change. While climate migration will occur within the United States, the most challenging aspect of this trend will be international climate migration, which must be managed against a backdrop of existing controversies over asylum and refugee policies. In this paper, the authors provide an introduction to the complex topic of international climate migration for local governments and community leaders engaged in climate action planning.

Net Zero Water (NZW) is a concept that aims to change the way water resources are managed; it focuses on helping make water resource planning decisions based on local conditions rather than demand. The NZW concept helps individuals and organizations become water neutral. NZW focuses on gaining an understanding of your water footprint and taking action to reduce consumption and improve water quality, whether you are a building owner, company, school campus, or community.

Brendle Group developed the Commercial, Industrial, and Institutional (CII) Water Assessment Tool to support alternative water budget development. The CII Water Assessment Tool is a resource for conducting basic water conservation assessments for CII customers. This Excel-based tool is intended for use by various groups, including municipality/utility staff, technicians, and/or end users without a technical background in water conservation opportunities. The tool is adaptable to this wide range of users because of its functionality, which provides both basic and detailed assessment input options. The tool draws heavily upon resources from WaterSense© and ENERGY STAR for the assessment inputs and reporting outcomes.

Download the CII Water Assessment Tool Users’ Guide.

Download the CII Water Assessment Tool.