The below endorsement will be voted on by the INC Delegation at the May 8 2021 meeting.

Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation (INC) Endorsement of Colorado Youth Sustainability Board Climate Resolution to Denver Public Schools

We, Denver Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation, – hereby declare our strong recommendation for Denver Public Schools to mitigate the increasing effects of climate change, allowing our schools and neighborhoods to flourish and creating a healthy city and planet for all future generations.

WHEREAS the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and National Climate Assessment reports call for immediate action to stem the worst effects of climate change;

WHEREAS climate change is neither a partisan nor a political issue but can be a bridge to bring us together for our shared future;

WHEREAS we already see the effects of climate change on our neighborhoods and are concerned about future generations’ access to clean water, sustainable neighborhoods, and equitable living conditions throughout the city;

WHEREAS The Youth Sustainability Board (YSB) is a student-run organization that offers teens from public and private schools throughout Colorado a platform to pioneer sustainability initiatives in their schools and greater communities;

WHEREAS Denver has over 200 registered neighborhood organizations (RNO’s) operating across the city, which are an essential part of our city’s social and economic fabric;

WHEREAS Denver INC (Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation) began in 1975 as a coalition of representatives from Denver’s RNOs – to advocate for residents by bringing together, informing, and empowering Denver RNOs to actively engage in addressing city issues;

WHEREAS the city of Denver is making substantial efforts and investments to reduce its carbon footprint and to ensure that we and our neighborhoods are sustainable and well-positioned to avoid disruption from climate events;

WHEREAS the Denver Climate Action Plan was recently introduced and adopted by the city as a bold climate solution plan over the next several decades;

WHEREAS Denver Public Schools are an independent governmental entity not bound by local city goals, ordinances, and regulations;

WHEREAS Denver Public Schools is made up of over 200 individual schools; enrolls over 90,000 students; occupies 16 million square feet of enclosed building space in just under 2,000 acres, and employs more than 10,000 persons; 

WHEREAS Denver Public Schools has the technology and the economic strength for bold climate action; all that we need is public and political will to meet the challenge of restoring our climate;

WHEREAS Denver Public Schools has the power of school action through modeling and curriculum to positively influence children, their extended families, and ultimately entire neighborhoods and communities;

WHEREAS time is of the essence and the actions we take in the next few years will have repercussions – for generations to come;

NOW THEREFORE LET IT BE RESOLVED THAT…

Inter-Neighborhood Cooperation endorses equitable and effective Denver Public School policies to address climate change. DPS should act immediately to implement fair and equitable district-wide climate mitigation policies including the forthcoming recommendations from the Youth Sustainability Board and the Denver Climate Action Plan