New York City ranks in the top 3 most sustainable cities in the U.S.

New York City is making strides toward environmental sustainability. The Big Apple is one of America's most walkable and greenest cities. In addition, it also has the lowest carbon dioxide emissions per capita among large cities in the United States thanks to its extensive public transportation network. However, New York City still has a long way to go to reduce its environmental impact.

To celebrate Earth Day, LawnStarter published a new study where the company ranked the 200 largest cities in the United States based on their sustainability. The online marketplace for lawn maintenance and outdoor services used 26 metrics, including the number of zero-energy buildings, alternative fuel stations, and greenhouse-gas emissions, to determine the most environmentally-friendly American cities.

San Francisco topped the list of the most sustainable cities in the U.S. The report from LawnStarter noted that San Francisco was the first American city to ban plastic bags. In addition, it also forbids the sale of plastic bottles on city-owned properties. San Francisco plans to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040. Overall, six of the ten most sustainable cities in the country are located in California. 

The capital of Massachusetts was named the second most sustainable city in the country. In 2018, Boston implemented a plastic bag ordinance, requiring retailers to provide customers with only reusable or recyclable bags. It ranked first in Food Production and third in Transportation. The city also plans to compost at least 80 to 90 percent of its solid waste by 2030. Another goal set by the city is to become carbon-neutral by 2050.

New York City rounded up LawnStarter’s top three list. The city has the best transit score thanks to the MTA and numerous incentives supporting renewables and green energy. New York City ranked first in both Policy and Transportation. It also plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. However, New York City’s pollution score was not that great, reaching 164 out of a possible 200.

Resources: 

“2023’s Most Sustainable Cities,” by Sav Maive (LawnStarter, 2023)

“Where does NYC fall on the list of most sustainable cities?” by Christina Izzo (Time Out, 2023)