The District placed in the top 10 in a ranking of cities in the United States and Canada based on environmental performance, according the D.C. mayor’s office.
D.C. placed eighth out of 27 cities in overall environmental performance in the study conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit. The survey is titled "The US and Canada Green City Index" and was commissioned by the Siemens Corporation.
D.C. also tied for first with New York and Denver in an environmental governance category, said the mayor’s office.
D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray praised the results of the study at a City Hall press briefing Wednesday:
"The District of Columbia continues to prove itself an environmental leader – and particularly in the way our government and our residents take environmental sensitivity into account. We’ve been pioneers in areas like purchasing renewable energy, use of green transportation like bike-sharing programs and construction of LEED-certified green buildings. But I’m excited that this new study provides a set of qualitative and quantitative data that will allow cities to assess what other municipalities are doing and learn from each other as we work to create environmentally sustainable communities."
The mayor’s office, citing the US and Canada Green City Index, said that cities performed well in the rankings if they had comprehensive sustainability plans that encompass every aspect of creating a greener future, including transportation, land use, energy use, carbon-dioxide emissions and water use.
