The 108 Treasure Island bus. Photo by flickr user juicyrai.
According to a recent analysis by the carbon-offset managers at CO2IMPACT, San Francisco tops the list of U.S. cities ready for climate change. The study gave us high marks for having committed political leaders, a proactive university community (11 SF schools are members of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) and the largest number of LEED certified buildings per capita in the United States.
While it comes as no surprise to see San Francisco leading the way, a lot can be learned from other U.S. cities positioning themselves as leaders in "climate capitalism." Coming in second is Seattle, home to the country’s first major utility to become carbon neutral. Other West Coast cities in the top ten are San Diego — for making great strides in transitioning to an economy with reduced carbon impacts — and San Jose, whose ambitious Green Vision seeks to turn San Jose into "the world center of clean technology innovation." The analysis used a methodology based on factors including political commitment, green buildings, university leadership, transit access and use, clean tech investment, and energy and greenhouse gas emissions.
While climate change action has been slow at the federal level, major U.S. cities are taking a proactive role at the local level, mitigating their impact as well as investing in appropriate climate change adaptation solutions. To learn more about the impacts of climate change in the Bay Area and what needs to be done, visit "Adapt! Climate Change Hits Home," on view at the SPUR Urban Center until July 22.
Read more about the Top 10 Climate-Ready Cities at Triple Pundit >>