In 2020, Boulder County’s Energy Impact Offset Fund Committee joined forces with The Cannabis Conservancy to move the cannabis industry closer to carbon neutrality. A new report suggests cannabis companies enrolled in the Boulder County certification program have reduced their carbon emissions by 70%.
Around 29% of the county’s cannabis cultivators in unincorporated Boulder County have enrolled in the Boulder County Carbon Conscious Certification program. The program helps cultivators move step-by-step through a framework for strategic energy management, implementation guidance and compliance support, according to the county.
“The report findings show that all participants improved their total energy efficiency and reduced the amount of energy used to produce a gram of dried cannabis flower,” a news release from the county stated.
The energy efficiency totals were achieved by adopting new technologies and practices such as adding LED lights and efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and by using local renewable energy sources such as Jack’s Solar Garden in Longmont.
In the Flow — a boutique cannabis company — reduced its carbon emissions by 70% and increased its energy productivity by 25%, according to the release.
“It's important to our company that we do everything we can to address the issue of energy-intensive cannabis cultivation,” said In the Flow owner Bonnie Bahlmann.
The program will enter a new phase in 2023 which will help cannabis cultivators look into packaging, input procurement and end-of-life practices, the news release stated.
"We're excited to see the progress these cannabis cultivators have made in reducing energy consumption and carbon pollution," said Boulder County program coordinator Ambra Sutherlin. "They're leaders in the cannabis community, dedicated to going carbon neutral and making a real difference in the fight against climate change."
