Residents of the New York Metropolitan Region emit fewer greenhouses gases per person than the typical resident of the other cities in the nation’s 100 largest metro areas, according to a first-of-its kind report researched by The Brookings Institution.
The New York region has the smallest per capita transportation emissions but ranks substantially lower in residential building emissions, according to the report, titled “Shrinking the Carbon Footprint of Metropolitan America”
Overall, the region ranks 4th in the nation for lowest per capita emissions from residential energy and highway transportation.
Honolulu, Hawaii was ranked as the greenest U.S. metropolitan area, with a carbon footprint of 1.356 metric tons per resident in 2005.
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana was second. Portland, Vancouver-Beaverton, Oregon-Washington was third. Boise City-Nampa, Idaho rounded out the top five.
The highest per capita pollution was found to be in Lexington-Fayette, Kentucky, and seven of the largest greenhouse gas emitters are in the house.
The report, which can be viewed in greater detail on the Brookings Institution website, highlights how population density can result in lower per capita carbon emissions, even though overall emissions for urban areas are greater than rural areas.
This is generally the result of increased use of public transportation in urban areas, as well as more efficient heating and cooling in multi-tenant buildings as compared to individual homes.
“Our Region is fortunate to have a legacy of being a compact and livable, which allows our residents to produce a smaller carbon footprint than those in some other regions,” said Petra Todorovich, Director of Regional Plan Association’s America 2050 project, which co-released the report. “But we can–and need to–do better. With three million additional residents expected in the region by 2030, unless we act now to invest in our region’s infrastructure and make fundamental changes, we risk being left in the dust.”
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