“No two cities will do this for the same reasons or get there the same ways,” says Jodie Van Horn, director of the Sierra Club’s Ready for 100 campaign. “Cities are the canaries in the coal mine for the fossil fuel industry as they move to 100% clean energy, so will the country.”
The cities in the report show the many different ways urban areas are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The majority of the cities’ plans include promoting energy efficiency. Some programs focus on requiring more efficient components in buildings while seeking to change behavior through public awareness campaigns. Some cities located in areas with abundant resources like wind and sun—such as Georgetown, TX—have focused largely on switching to renewables, as much for the economy as for the environment.