69
US AND CANADA GREEN CITY INDEX
Vancouver (far left) has
the lowest CO2 emissions
and the best air quality;
New York (above) and
Seattle (left) scored best
for transport and for
energy-efficient buildings,
respectively.
San Francisco, North
America’s no. 1 sustainable city, won full marks
in the waste category
for its high recycling
rate and its sustainable
waste management
policies.
CO2
San Francisco – North
America’s Greenest City
How “green” are the metropolises in the United States and Canada?
The US and Canada Green City Index compares 27 cities.
By Karen Stelzner
Living Energy · Issue 6/February 2012
Photos: Siemens, Graphic: independent (Source: Siemens)
100
Investments in the public transport
network, solar parks and wind power
stations, citizens committed to climate protection – these are just some
indications that North American cities have recognized, and are actively
tackling current climate challenges.
The US and Canada Green City Index,
an independent study performed by
the Economist Intelligence Unit on behalf of Siemens which was launched
at the Aspen Ideas Festival in June
2011, provides more in-depth insights.
The Index takes a closer look at the
environmental performance of a total
of 27 North American cities in terms
of their CO2 emissions, energy, land
Living Energy · Issue 6/February 2012
use, buildings, transport, water, waste,
air quality, and environmental governance.
Perhaps the most important finding:
The issue of sustainability is not
ignored by any of the cities analyzed.
The “greenest” city in the US and
Canada Green City Index is San Francisco, followed by Vancouver, New
York, Seattle, and Denver. They all possess comprehensive sustainability
strategies and have set themselves ambitious ecopolitical objectives that
are being pursued resolutely.
However, the Index also demonstrates
that cities are struggling to overcome
a considerable backlog in terms of u
Environmental
governance
Energy
80
60
40
20
Air
Land
use
0
Buildings
Transport
Water
Waste
San Francisco
Best
Average
San Francisco’s exceptional performance
is supported by its strong record in all
categories evaluated in the Index.
US AND CANADA GREEN CITY INDEX
71
Overall Results
The US and Canada Green City Index analyzes the environmental performance of
27 North American cities across nine environmental categories: CO2 , energy, land use,
buildings, transport, water, waste, air quality, and environmental governance.
These are the overall results:
Calgary
Vancouver
Seattle
Ottawa
Montréal
Toronto
Minneapolis
Detroit
Boston
Cleveland
Chicago
Sacramento
Denver
New York City
Pittsburgh
Philadelphia
Saint Louis
Washington DC
San Francisco
1 San Francisco
83.8
10 Minneapolis
67.7
19 Montreal
59.8
2 Vancouver
81.3
11 Chicago
66.9
20 Charlotte
59.0
3 New York City
79.2
12 Ottawa
66.8
21 Atlanta
57.8
4 Seattle
79.1
13 Philadelphia
66.7
22 Miami
57.3
5 Denver
73.5
14 Calgary
64.8
23 Pittsburgh
56.6
6 Boston
72.6
15 Sacramento
63.7
24 Phoenix
55.4
7 Los Angeles
72.5
16 Houston
62.6
25 Cleveland
39.7
8 Washington DC
71.4
17 Dallas
62.3
26 Saint Louis
35.1
9 Toronto
68.4
18 Orlando
61.1
27 Detroit
28.4
Charlotte
Los Angeles
Phoenix
Dallas
Atlanta
Houston
Orlando
Denver, overall no. 5 in the
Green City Index, has some of the
best environmental policies.
Miami
CO2 emissions. On average, the cities
generate around 14.5 metric tons of
CO2 per capita, significantly more than
those featured in the European or
Asian Green City Indices (5.2 metric
tons and 4.6 metric tons respectively).
However, the fact that 21 of 27 cities
listed in the Index are now endeavoring to cut their CO2 emission levels independently is encouraging.
Green City Index Facts
The Green City Index is a unique research project that to
date assesses the environmental sustainability of more than
120
cities
worldwide.
Ambitious Objectives
Cities are the pillars of society and the national economies in
the USA and Canada: 82 percent of Americans and 81 percent
of Canadians are urban dwellers.
More information at
www.siemens.com/greencityindex
Green City Indices are
available for
➔ Europe
➔ Latin America
➔ Asia
➔ Germany
➔ USA and Canada
➔ Africa
Living Energy · Issue 6/February 2012
Graphic: Siemens, Photo: Siemens
The study is conducted by the independent research
organization Economist Intelligence Unit in cooperation
with Siemens.
These and other findings confirm that
a major rethink has taken place. Most
US and Canadian cities are on an equal
footing with their leading European
counterparts as far as environmental
governance is concerned. Furthermore, ambitious energy objectives and
policies suggest that the contribution
by renewable energy sources to power
generation is set to increase in future.
■ By the year 2020, Los Angeles aims
to replace coal-fuelled power gener-
Living Energy · Issue 6/February 2012
ation, which currently stands at
40 percent, with renewable energies
entirely. Wind, geothermal, and hydropower already meet 20 percent
of the cityʼs energy needs.
■ The largest urban solar power plant
in the USA has been constructed in
Chicago on a former wasteland site.
It is capable of supplying approximately 1,200 households with power
while simultaneously reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 14,000
metric tons each year, equivalent to
the emissions from 2,500 cars.
■ Toronto turned one of its energy
problems to account: The city was
obliged to lay its water-intake pipe
deeper into Lake Ontario. The icecold water is now serving as an
innovative form of air-conditioning
for inner-city offices and helps to
save 61 MW of energy each year.
Siemens is an important partner with
regard to the expansion of renewable
energies. The company is currently
developing a wind farm in the US
state of Iowa with a total of 258 wind
turbines, which will supply around
190,000 households with green power
after commencing operations in 2012.
Anaheim, California, is home to another example of Siemens’ commitment
to sustainability in North America.
To be able to cover the city’s increased
energy requirements, the first subterranean gas-insulated switchgear in
the USA was constructed – beneath
a city park. p
Karen Stelzner is responsible for the
Green City Index at Siemens.