The clock is ticking. Each day climate-altering, man-made gases are building up in the atmosphere and Colorado’s effort to help stem the tide is running late.

The Air Quality Control Commission missed a July 1 deadline to issue draft rules to meet Colorado’s greenhouse gas reduction targets – or perhaps it didn’t. It all depends upon whom you ask.

What many – commissioners, officials, environmentalists – agree upon is that the efforts to establish a plan to cut emissions of carbon dioxide and other so-called greenhouse gases are moving at a molasses pace.

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“There is this awesome slowness of public policy,” said Auden Schendler, an AQCC commissioner and Aspen Ski Co.’s vice president of sustainability. “The challenge is: How do you make the bureaucratic machinery work as quickly as possible and get things done?”

Some critics say what is lacking is a lead from Gov. Jared Polis, who issued an executive order on zero-emission vehicles in 2018, a roadmap to 100% renewable energy in 2019 and signed the climate legislation, but hasn’t been highly visible on the issue since.

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“The unwillingness of the governor to throw his full weight to meet these targets, a lack of full-throated support on the policies he has signed off on, is concerning,” said Jeremy Nichols, climate and energy program director for Wild Earth Guardians. The environmental group plans to sue the AQCC for its failure to meet the July 1 deadline.

Some political guidance is needed on whether to make specific rules for different types of polluters, or enact statewide, economy-wide initiatives such as congestion pricing to discourage people from driving or a carbon tax, Schendler said.  “Where does the governor stand on these issues?” he asked.

To read the rest of the Colorado Sun article, click here.