Community Development

Four in Five Big Cities Put High Value on Sustainability Goals

Published on GreenerBuildings.com: May 7, 2009
By GreenBiz Staff

Washington, D.C. — Only one in six of the 40 largest cities in the U.S. say sustainability is not one of their top five problems, according to a new report from Living Cities, a collaboration of 21 of the world's largest foundations and financial institutions. The vast majority of city leaders have focused attention and effort on improving the environmental performance of their towns.

In addition to the 80 percent of cities that have listed sustainability as one of their top-five priorities, more than 75 percent of the cities studied say they've either already put detailed sustainability plans in place or are in the midst of developing methods for reducing overall greenhouse gases. These targets usually set a goal of reducing total emissions by 10 to 20 percent in the next five to 10 years.

The report, "Green Cities: How Urban Sustainability Efforts Can and Must Drive America's Climate Change Policies," evaluates how well cities across the country are working on reducing urban emissions, and lays out the three key areas that will make the most impact in the least amount of time...

"This report shows that cities are leaders in using green strategies to advance economic recovery efforts and create better jobs," Don Chen, a program officer at the Ford Foundation, said in a statement. But it also signals the urgent need for these efforts to reach more people — including low-income and working families — to build stronger communities for the long term.

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