INitial Recommendations

After the initial baseline assessment, the initial recommendations for the CFPL Corporation are:

1. Beyond meeting the goals of the town's climate action plan, support the community in reaching the town's goals.

2. Align the sustainability efforts with global sustainability goals such as the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Focus on building use energy efficiency to meet the short term GHG reduction goals.

(1) Aligning and supporting the Town of Concord's sustainability goals

The following recommendations highlight some ways in which the Library Corporation's sustainability plan can align with the goals outlined in the Town of Concord's Climate Action and Resilience Plan:

(2) Aligning with other sustainability focused frameworks

Through this planning process, the Library Corporation has the opportunity to set goals and determine short and long term strategies that align not only with the Town, but also with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and be a leader among libraries in the area.

Here are some ways the sustainability plan can align with these external frameworks:

Building energy use

• Prioritize energy efficiency projects and electrification of heating and cooling systems, as well as setting a more ambitious timeline for reaching carbon neutrality

Mobility

• Support inclusive, low carbon travel options to and from the library

Materials and resources

• Determine what it would take to have all library locations be zero-waste

Outreach, education & coordination

• Identity and share key information on the climate preparedness, resilience, and justice by expanding availability of reading and watching materials and hosting events

Resiliency

• Serve as a leader in Concord and among other libraries by modeling inclusive and participatory community responsiveness to the negative impacts of climate change

(3) Building energy use recommendations

As a result of the energy use and greenhouse gas assessment, the following recommendations are targeted at the existing Main Library and Fowler Branch locations.

The main takeaways from these recommendations are:

1. Concord Free Public Library and the Library Corp. are on track to meet the Town of Concord’s goals by 2050. Combining efficiency projects and diversion from natural gas, the library could reach their goal soon after the Town makes the switch to 100% renewable electricity.

2. At least one of the two branches will need to be converted to fully electric heating and cooling in order to reach the Town's goal by 2050, assuming the Town is providing a renewable electricity source.

3. CFPL Corp. could go further, and become carbon neutral by or before 2050. Updating all of the existing HVAC equipment with all-electric alternatives can help achieve that goal for Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions.

For more information, visit the Building Energy Use section of the baseline.