Financing the Future: Aspen’s Approach to Climate Policy Cost Analysis

With: Grace (Moderator), AECOM; Ainsley Brosnan-Smith, City of Aspen; Clare McLaughlin, City of Aspen; Tim Karfs, City of Aspen

Money: Funding, Finance, Grants & Investments

The City of Aspen has set science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 63% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 and needs to make big moves to get there. In order to create a realistic roadmap to achieve these goals, Aspen needs to holistically quantify what the real costs of these big moves like electrification, sustainable transportation, and waste diversion will be. This is important in a place like Aspen where cost of doing business is especially high, and the consideration for who will bear these costs will direct the future of our climate policies and goals. In a big step forward, the City of Aspen is working the consultant team at AECOM to develop a Climate Policy Cost Analysis and Financial Plan that will consider the most impactful policies to reach our climate goals, a comprehensive analysis of anticipated costs and impacts of those policies, and innovative ways to fund this work. The City of Aspen’s climate team will present an overview of this journey and lead a discussion with AECOM consultants on initial results, lessons learned, and how other communities might benefit from these shared insights.