Green Initiatives
Close Connection to the Environment
As a mountain and recreation-based community, Avon has a close connection with the environment and understands that nature’s health and well-being is one of the town’s most valuable assets. Therefore, reducing Avon’s carbon footprint is one of the town’s priorities.
Working on implementing both small and large steps to help meet its goal of a 30 percent carbon footprint reduction by 2020, Avon has moved quickly from talk to action. Below are a few of the exciting renewable energy initiatives that Avon has undertaken:
In addition, Avon supports
Actively Green which is a valley-wide campaign intended to engage all
residents, guests and organizations in caring for our region’s unique
natural environment. It is a reminder that regardless of where we live,
for whom we work, or how choose to recreate, collectively our quality of
life and our visitors’ experiences are dependent on the preservation of
the outdoor playground we all share.
Actively Green means our efforts matter in a variety of ways and at a
variety of levels, ranging from a hiker picking up litter near a
trailhead to a town increasing its recycling to a tri-county effort to
promote energy efficiency. We encourage a culture in which every
stakeholder is Actively Green every day.
Obstacles to Avon
There are still many big issues and obstacles to tackle as Avon continues to “go green,” such as how to fund these initiatives, how stringent should building code standards be, and many other unanswered questions. However, the town is making a concerted effort to do what it can as soon as it can. We have a unique opportunity to lead by example in a way that positively impacts climate change.
Finding sustainable solutions to our energy use is not only needed to help minimize climate change, but will benefit the residents of Avon by saving taxpayer money in the long-term, improving community livability, building the local economy and creating jobs, improving air quality and public health, creating a legacy of leadership, and adding distinction to our town character.