Transportation is one of the largest sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the nation. Small to large vehicles account for over 60% of Colorado's emissions total from transportation.
Additionally, Colorado's massive investments in highways and reliance on driving (work trips, health care, education, and other essential services) are why transportation is a huge source of planet-warming emissions within the state.
To address the high levels of climate emissions, Colorado created a roadmap that will reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the amount of vehicles on the road, and instead, implementing electric vehicles. Additionally, the state has decided to adopt a new regulation that requires the Colorado Department of Transportation as well as five metropolitan planning organizations to quantify the overall GHG emissions expected from future transportation projects and to reduce those emissions by set amounts over time.
The current roadmap states the following:
"Pursuing the near-complete electrification of light-duty vehicles by 2050, with an interim target of nearly 1 million light-duty EVs in service by 2030, will significantly reduce the state's overall GHG emissions while reducing harmful pollutants. In addition to transitioning the fleet toward zero-emissions vehicles, reducing the growth in vehicle miles traveled is a critical element of reducing pollution from the transportation sector."
While this strategy won't be 100% effective, Colorado is making an effort to implement rules that set the state on a more sustainable path that will lead to an even more sustainable economic production.
