WalletHub, a personal finance outlet, released its report titled, “Greenest Cities in America (2023)” rating San José as sixth greenest city in the U.S. in 2023 and second in California. Compared to 99 other cities across the nation, San José scored high in categories of Environment, Transportation, Energy Sources and Lifestyle and Policy.
“In an increasingly urbanized world, cities must play the leading role in achieving our climate goals,” said San José Mayor Matt Mahan. “San José will continue to lead the effort to electrify every sector of the economy and ensure it is powered by clean and renewable energy sources.”
“The latest report by WalletHub underscores the environmental commitment by our residents, San José City Council, City departments, philanthropic organizations, non-profits and businesses who shaped and realized our climate action plan, Climate Smart San José,” said Kerrie Romanow, San José Environmental Services Department director and chief sustainability officer. “I’m appreciative of this accolade because it recognizes the San José community who understands the urgency of climate change and takes immediate action to combat climate change, creating a livable community.”
Among 100 cities ranked across the nation, San José scored number one in the Energy Sources category. WalletHub considered these metrics in this category:
- Share of Electricity from Renewable Sources
- Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Installations per Capita
- Number of Smart-Energy Policies & Initiatives
According to WalletHub’s report, “to determine the cities promoting an environmentally friendly lifestyle, WalletHub compared the 100 largest cities across 28 key “green” indicators… data set ranges from greenhouse-gas emissions per capita to number of smart-energy policies and initiatives to green job opportunities.”
About the City of San José About WalletHub
With almost one million residents, San José is one of the most diverse large cities in the United States and is Northern California’s largest city and the 12th largest city in the nation. San José’s transformation into a global innovation center has resulted in one of the largest concentrations of technology companies and expertise in the world.
About the Environmental Services Department (ESD)
The San José Environmental Services Department leads Climate Smart San José; manages garbage and recycling services; watershed protection and pollution prevention; municipal drinking water and recycled water; sustainability initiatives; and the operation and infrastructure improvements of the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility. ESD’s mission is to deliver world-class utility services and programs to improve our health, environment and economy.