Denver committed $57 million to climate action projects in the past year, including installing 100 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging ports and distributing 40,000 reusable bags citywide, Denver’s Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency said Thursday.

The agency released its annual report on the same day the Supreme Court released a decision limiting the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, a decision that Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said makes it “even more critical that we act now at the local level.”

“On the eve of (Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency)’s second anniversary, our city remains steadfast in our commitment to climate action, the policies and programs that will support it, and the transformative investments that are already beginning to make a difference to build resiliency for our residents and neighborhoods,” Hancock said in a news release. “… I urge cities and leaders across the nation to join us in taking strong action on climate change to protect our future and our children’s future.”

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The city’s Climate Protection Fund was established after voters approved a ballot initiative creating the fund with a 0.25% local sales tax increase. Authorized categories for fund use include workforce development, renewable energy, buildings and homes, sustainable transportation, adaptation and resilience, and environmental justice.

“Two-thirds of the global population live in cities, so cities need to take action,” Grace Rink, Denver’s chief climate officer, said in the release. “Denver’s Climate Protection Fund is exceptional among local governments, and can equitably support the policy measures designed to get us to net zero by 2040.”

The report also highlighted policy accomplishments such as Energize Denver to drastically cut buildings’ reliance on fossil fuels, Bring Your Own Bag to limit single-use plastic bags and #SkiptheStuff to reduce the use of single-use items when ordering takeout or delivery.

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