How Green is Dallas?

According to WalletHub, a web-based personal finance resource, the city of Dallas is ranked 29 out of America’s 100 most populated cities. WalletHub and a team of experts using data collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, EPA, the Trust for Public Land and the American Council for Energy-Efficient Economy, evaluated four key areas: environmental quality, greenness of transportation, greenness of energy sources and local green lifestyle and policies. The final ranking was determined by attributing a score of 0 to 100 for each metric, adding the weighted sums and creating an overall ranking.

Of the four key areas evaluated, Dallas ranked highest in environmental quality, which measured the median air quality index, greenhouse-Gas emission, green space and water quality.

The City is continually exploring new sources to help bring sustainable energy efficiency, as well as water conservation measures and awareness, to Dallas residents. The City’s Office of Environmental Quality (OEQ) is committed to protecting and improving the environment by leading and guiding the City of Dallas in efforts for environmental compliance, pollution prevention and continual improvement. The Green Dallas program is building a greener environment through education, incentives, sustainable practices and partnerships.

Environmental sustainability is recognized by the City in six areas of concentration:
• Improve air quality
• Promote smart growth and development
• Improve water quality
• Better materials management
• Reduce non-renewable energy use
• Create a more inclusive Dallas

The City first issued an Environment Policy in 2005 and Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings pledged support for the U.S. Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement in 2014. Current efforts are working toward the City’s next commitment of reducing emissions from City operations 39% over 1990 levels by 2017. The City is also actively creating solutions for on-site energy generation from waste streams and renewable energy purchases. All actions, education and awareness are aimed at meeting or exceeding all applicable environmental laws and regulations.

For more information on the City’s environmental programs and policies, visit: www.greendallas.net