Source: Cincinnati Business Courier, Erin Caproni
Cincinnati is the most sustainable metropolitan area in the U.S., according to a new ranking from Site Selection magazine.
The Queen City is followed by previous top contender Boston, Seattle, Cleveland and Chicago on the list, which was created based on data related to LEED buildings, Energy Star buildings, green industry projects, Corporate Social Responsibility rankings, Measurable metro scores, brownfield grants, brownfield cleanups and Gallup/Healthways Well-Being rankings.
Site Selection focused on Procter & Gamble Co.’s green efforts as a contributing factor to the city’s placement on the list.
“Procter & Gamble is synonymous with its hometown and continues to pursue its own aggressive sustainability agenda,” the story states. “Among the recent steps it’s taken are investments in recycling and beneficial reuse that will eliminate all manufacturing waste from its global network of more than 100 production sites by 2020.”
The University of Cincinnati’s green efforts were also highly praised in the piece as it has built six LEED-certified buildings since 2004 and has another in the works with its new facility for the business college.
Kristin Weiss, executive director of Cincinnati environmental organization Green Umbrella, said more sustainability efforts are in the works for the region.
“We can look forward to more regional sustainability achievements in the future, such as improved walkable and bike-friendly communities, thanks to OKI’s inclusion of $191 million in prioritized bike and pedestrian-related infrastructure projects in the region’s 2040 transportation plan,” she said in a statement. “We also expect to see a surge in sales of locally grown food, thanks to a USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant awarded to increase sales for local producers through our region’s largest food hubs by 65 percent by 2020.”
Overall, Ohio was No. 3 among the nation’s most sustainable states behind North Carolina and Illinois in the new ranking, while the U.S. was ranked second among countries behind Canada.
To see the full report, click here.
