Philadelphia Strives to Be America’s No. 1 Green City

April 29, 2009

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Philadelphia mayor Michael Nutter and the mayor’s Office of Sustainability have released a comprehensive plan to make Philadelphia the greenest city in the United States by 2015. Encompassing more than 150 initiatives, Greenworks Philadelphia sets goals in five areas — energy, environment, equity, economy and engagement — all designed to help create jobs in the emerging green economy and reduce the city’s environmental footprint.

Key target goals of Greenworks Philadelphia include:

Decrease city government energy consumption by 30 percent
Reduce energy consumption in buildings citywide by 10 percent
Retrofit 15 percent of housing with insulation, air sealing, and cool roofs
Purchase and generate 20 percent of electricity from alternative energy sources
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent
Improve air quality toward attainment of federal standards
Divert 70 percent of solid waste from landfill
Manage storm water to meet federal standards
Provide park and recreation resources within 10 minutes of 75 percent of residents
Offer local food within 10 minutes of 75 percent of residents
Boost tree coverage toward 30 percent in all neighborhoods in 2025
Reduce vehicle miles traveled by 10 percent
Increase the “State of Good Repair” of city infrastructure
Double the number of low- and high-skill green jobs to 28,8000

The city has already made progress through a few green initiatives launched by its sports teams. The Philadelphia Phillies, for example, have purchased 20 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy to serve the ball club’s 43,500-seat Citizens Bank Park, and the Pittsburgh Pirates recently launched a green initiative dubbed “Let’s Go Bucs. Let’s Go Green.”

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