WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE

The Measuring Up 2015 report analyzes climate action across 116 US local governments, representing approximately 14% of the US population. It finds that achieving these cities' 2050 emissions goals would be equivalent to shutting down 86 coal-fired power plants. The report highlights the success of cities like Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, and Portland, noting that strong government leadership, supportive state policies, and private sector partnerships are critical for success. It argues that while local actions are significant, they require an enabling national policy framework, including strong power plant regulations and carbon pricing, to reach their full potential.

• Achieving the emissions reduction goals of the 116 analyzed US communities by 2050 would result in reductions equivalent to shutting down 86 coal-fired power plants or collectively driving 780 billion fewer miles.
• The 116 local governments analyzed in the report represent at least 14% of the total US population.
• Implementation of the EPA's Clean Power Plan could save the 116 leading climate communities identified in the report approximately $7 billion in energy costs through efficiency improvements by 2030.
• Fifty-two of the 132 cities that reported to public platforms have set emissions reduction targets that are as ambitious as or more ambitious than the US national goal of reducing emissions by 26% to 28% below 2005 levels by 2025.
• Atlanta has achieved a 10% reduction in citywide greenhouse gas emissions in less than five years and has created over 33,000 clean-tech jobs.
• Cincinnati's community choice aggregation program allows the city to provide 100% clean, green energy to residents and small businesses, saving the average household 23% on utility bills.
• Portland's focus on sustainable transportation has led to a 7% decrease in gasoline sales compared to 1990, despite a 31% increase in population.
• Minneapolis has implemented a first-in-the-Midwest benchmarking and disclosure ordinance requiring commercial buildings over 50,000 square feet and public buildings over 25,000 square feet to report energy and water consumption annually.
• The report identifies five key national policy needs to support city-level action: strong federal power plant regulations, increased funding for low-carbon transportation, policies to encourage private investment in green infrastructure, removal of federal barriers to PACE financing, and the establishment of carbon pricing mechanisms.
• The Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, formed in June 2014, consists of international cities committed to achieving aggressive long-term carbon reduction goals and sharing best practices in transportation, energy, and waste systems.

APA

Steinhoff, M., Wei, J., Higbee, M., Holland, B., Taylor, K., de Moncuit, L., Wladkowski, J., Walsh, K., Appleby, K., Martin, C., & Partin, J. (2015). WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/170/44ldck5xmu_15_540_Measuring_Up_2015_Report_low_res_FIN2.pdf

Chicago

Steinhoff, Mike, Juan Wei, Melissa Higbee, Brian Holland, Kevin Taylor, Lucas de Moncuit, Joseph Wladkowski, et al. WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE. WWF International, 2015. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/170/44ldck5xmu_15_540_Measuring_Up_2015_Report_low_res_FIN2.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{steinhoff2015working, author = {Steinhoff, Mike and Wei, Juan and Higbee, Melissa and Holland, Brian and Taylor, Kevin and de Moncuit, Lucas and Wladkowski, Joseph and Walsh, Katie and Appleby, Kyra and Martin, Cooper and Partin, Johanna}, title = {{WORKING TOGETHER WITH CITIES TO REDUCE THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2015}, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/170/44ldck5xmu_15_540_Measuring_Up_2015_Report_low_res_FIN2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }