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Report: Cities Must Do More on Climate More
Tucson, Arizona, saw one of the largest increases in emissions among U.S. cities from 1990 to 2014, a new report finds.Getty Images/iStockphoto Since President Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement in 2017, largely eliminating regulation of greenhouse gas emissions at the federal level, local leaders have found themselves at the helm of emissions mandates. More than 450 U.S. mayors have pledged to continue honoring the Paris Agreement. And more than 1,500 local governments have moved to develop climate action plans and global greenhouse gas reduction targets. [ COMMENTARY: Fighting Climate Change and Inequality ]Still, more needs to be done, according to a new report by the Brookings Institution that examines how the 100 largest cities in the U.S. are addressing emissions reductions. "Overall, the leadership of about half of America's larger cities stands as an important counter to federal drift," according to the report from the Washington, D.C.-based think tank. "With that said, more ambitious and rigorous efforts are needed in order to make the nation's 'bottom-up' climate commitments more effective." Cities With the Largest Carbon Footprints View All 12 Slides
The report assesses the greenhouse gas reduction pledges and commitments of the country's largest cities, tracks the emissions savings that could result from them, and evaluates whether cities are meeting their goals. The results are mixed, according to the authors. While some cities are on the path to meeting their emission goals on schedule, others have no formal pledges or climate action plan in the works whatsoever. Of the largest 100 cities, 45 had fully established greenhouse gas reduction targets as of 2017, goals which are projected to save over 365 million metric tons of carbon by 2050 total (the equivalent of removing 79 million passenger vehicles from the road), according to the report. Of those cities with established reduction targets, though, two-thirds are behind on their goals. Of all states, California has the greatest number of large cities with established climate action plans, with 11 cities adopting goals. 
Courtesy of Brookings Institution The report assessed percentage change in emissions by looking at a city's emissions during its "baseline" year and comparing it to the most recent emissions measurements – dates which varied by city. Los Angeles saw the greatest percentage decrease in emissions, at 47% from 1990 baselines as of 2013. San Francisco and Washington, D.C., saw the second and third greatest percentage decreases in emissions, respectively. On the other side of the spectrum, some cities are struggling to reduce emissions or are witnessing a rapid increase in the pollutants. Tucson, Arizona, experienced the largest percentage increase in emissions at 39% above its 1990 baseline levels as of 2014, following the city's "sprawling growth." Fast-growing Madison, Wisconsin, saw the second-highest percentage increases, followed by Pittsburgh. Many of the higher levels are due to increased transportation emissions, says David Victor, nonresident senior fellow at Brookings and an author of the study. "The hardest thing that the cities are finding is transportation is really, really difficult to manage, because a lot of the tools are outside of their scope – the vehicles that are available," he says. "California cities are going to have an easier time because they're going to have a state that's leading on zero-emission vehicles." The report suggests that limited resources in smaller cities may make it more challenging for them to create tangible plans for emissions reduction. While the 25 largest cities contained 16 climate action plans, for example, the smallest 25 saw only six action plans. [ READ: States Climate Change Efforts Stall During Pandemic ]About 40 million people – about 12% of the total U.S. population – live in the 45 larger cities with active and fully-formed climate action plans, according to the report. While those numbers aren't insignificant, even if those cities do meet their climate action plan goals, the potential reduction in emissions would only equal around 7% of the original commitment the U.S. made with the Paris Agreement by the year 2050, according to the report. "For all of the great things that are going on in these cities, it's only a small fraction of national emissions, and so it's really important that those cities that are pioneers, if you like, be much more focused on getting their pioneering to spread, and not just be thrilled with themselves about their pioneering status," Victor says.
Corrected on Oct. 22, 2020: A previous version of this article, written off of a draft report that was later updated, contained inaccurate information about the emissions levels of several cities.Kaia Hubbard, Contributor Kaia Hubbard is a graduate of the University of San Diego and is a yearlong News intern. Tags: global warming, energy policy and climate change, greenhouse gases  Cities Analysis: U.S. Cities Gain DiversityCities America’s Most Diverse City Is Scarred by Its PastCities Race, Economics and Detroit’s RebirthCities Commentary: The Case for InclusionCities Lessons From California’s Diverse CitiesYou May Also LikeReport: U.S. Cities Struggle With Walkability Among U.S. cities, Orlando, Florida; Atlanta; Indianapolis; and San Antonio had the lowest walkability scores.Kaia HubbardOct. 16, 2020 NYC’s Falling Rents Reflect Economic Pain The median rental price in Manhattan was down 7.1% in September compared to the same time last year, according to a recent report. Kaia HubbardOct. 15, 2020 As Few As 1 in 10 Homeless People Vote In Elections – Here’s Why American citizens, even homeless ones, still have the right to vote.The ConversationOct. 15, 2020 Report Analyzes The Most Prosperous American Cities Five of the top 10 metro areas with the most prosperous ZIP codes are in the West, according to new data from the Economic Innovation Group.Kaia HubbardOct. 14, 2020 Cities At-Risk for COVID-19, Poor Mental HealthCities in the Rust Belt are particularly vulnerable to the twin challenges of COVID-19 and declining mental health, according to a new report. Horus AlasOct. 9, 2020 Cities With High and Low Rates of Uninsured AmericansNine of 10 highest uninsured rates are in these Texas cities, according to a new WalletHub study.Kaia HubbardOct. 7, 2020 The Most Energy-Efficient U.S. CitiesMany cities across the country are expanding their clean energy efforts, but others are lagging too far behind, according to a new report.Elliott DavisOct. 6, 2020 Best Cities for People With DisabilitiesSt. Louis and Scottsdale, Arizona, top the list of cities with the best accessibility for people with disabilities, according to a new WalletHub study.Elliott DavisOct. 2, 2020 Cities Struggle to Find Their Top CopsExperts warn that finding the perfect police chief in the era of ‘Black Lives Matter’ is easier said than done. Levi PulkkinenSept. 30, 2020 Commentary: What Remote Working Means for CitiesTelecommuters will transform American communities – if city leaders can persuade them to come, and stay.Greg ShepardSept. 28, 2020 Load MoreBest Countries Overall RankingsRankings IndexCountries IndexData ExplorerCountries NewsMethodologyRankings DownloadCountries FAQBest States Overall RankingsRankings IndexStates IndexData ExplorerStates NewsMethodologyRankings DownloadStates FAQHealthiest Communities Overall RankingsUrban, High-PerformingUrban, Up-and-ComingRural, High-PerformingRural, Up-and-ComingData ExplorerMethodologyCommunities FAQNews The RunPoliticsWorldBusinessScienceHealth NewsCartoonsCities Leaders The Report Photos America 2020 Events Best Countries Best States Healthiest Communities News Cities Leaders The Report Photos America 2020 Events About U.S. NewsOur MissionContactPressAdvertiseNewslettersJobsSite MapStoreCopyright 2020 © U.S. News World Report L.P.Terms Conditions/Privacy Policy/California Privacy Notice/California Do Not Sell My Personal Information Request
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