Denver office lays out 2026 climate budget, shifts staff and funds to voter-approved climate protection fund

Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency on Wednesday told the City Council it will preserve its core community programs in 2026 while realigning staff and many program costs into the voter‑approved Climate Protection Fund and delaying some newly planned initiatives pending a program redesign.

"We really believe that the climate crisis is solvable and together, we're the ones to do it," Liz Babcock, executive director of CASR, told the council. Babcock framed the office’s 2026 priorities as carbon pollution reduction, climate adaptation and resilience, zero waste and circularity, equity and climate justice, and communications and engagement.

The presentation explained why CASR is moving personnel and program costs into the Climate Protection Fund, a voter‑approved fund whose projected 2026 revenue the office estimates at approximately $52,000,000. CASR’s operating budget from that fund for 2026 is listed as about $38,800,000, with roughly $13,000,000 shown as a capital transfer to support rooftop and community solar, EV charging and facility electrification.

CASR said the office will preserve public‑facing services residents know — including e‑bike rebates, electrification and EV charging rebates, tree‑planting in low‑canopy neighborhoods, and the Healthy Homes and community solar programs — even as it trims vacancies and eliminates positions that were never filled. The office reported eliminating 13 vacant positions funded…