Durango's Sustainability Plan

The City of Durango is a community that is committed to, and greatly benefits from, the protection and conservation of our natural resources. We also recognize our role in contributing to state, national, and global commitments to mitigate climate change. Sustainability is not an end-goal that our community will reach one day, it is an ongoing commitment to principles that help protect our natural environment and ensure the quality of life for present and future generations.

Full Plan

Executive Summary

This sustainability plan is designed to guide action within the City of Durango municipality as well as the community as a whole. It organizes multi-layered and inter-related topics, focuses efforts on common objectives, and highlights the major environmental concerns for Durango. It is designed to align with over-arching plans such as they city’s Strategic Pan and Comprehensive Plan as well as departmental-level plans. The processes and commitments laid out in the plan will ensure that sustainability principles and goals remain integrated into efforts throughout the city. The plan helps maintain focus on key issues over multiple years while also allowing for flexibility and reprioritization as needed to stay relevant and effective.

Vision for a Sustainable Durango

"Durango is a community committed to achieving carbon neutrality, preserving our natural environment, conserving resources, maintaining our unique character, and improving quality of life for the benefit of present and future generations of residents, visitors, and neighboring communities."

Overarching Priorities

Reduce municipal and community-wide greenhouse gas emissions and increase renewable electricity generation in line with adopted goals.
Prepare Durango’s social, economic, and environmental systems to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
Secure the health and wellbeing benefits that are gained from reduced pollution and connection to healthy natural systems.
Implement actions in a way that equitably distributes the costs and quality of life benefits.

Sectors

Energy
Transportation & Development Patterns
Consumption & Waste
Water
Natural Systems & Ecology

Sustainability Plan Update Process

In May 2020, a Sustainability Working Group comprised of representatives from local stakeholder organizations and members of existing Boards and Commissions was formed to guide the Sustainability Plan update process. A preliminary draft framework for the plan was presented to the public in a series of workshops throughout the summer of 2021. Feedback from this community engagement process was incorporated into the final draft of the Sustainability Plan. The final draft plan was presented to City Council at the May 17, 2022 Study Session. A recording can be found on the city's YouTube channel.

The plan was unanimously adopted by City Council on June 7, 2022 via resolution R-2022-0026.

2015 Municipal Sustainability Action Plan

The City of Durango Municipal Sustainability Action Plan (PDF) was adopted in 2015, setting out the City's commitment to "Improving the quality of life for the citizens of our community by systematically, creatively and thoughtfully utilizing environmental, human and economic resources in a manner that maintains the unique character of our community for the benefit of present and future generations."

The SAP served as an umbrella document for the organization-wide integration of sustainability for over six years, and outlined actions across ten overarching objective areas:

Civic Engagement
Community Design
Employees
Energy
Infrastructure
Innovation
Waste
Water
Resiliency and Preparedness
Quality of Life