Rachel Burris of ROCKET Homes writes:

Given the devastating effects of global warming, we wanted to recognize the country’s most eco-friendly cities and take a minute to appreciate the initiatives they’ve implemented to reduce their carbon footprint. To determine which cities do the most to protect the environment, Rocket Homes® partnered with BestPlaces.net.

Take a look at the 15 most sustainable cities that are leading the effort to preserve our planet for generations to come.

Finding The Most Sustainable Cities In The US

The researchers at BestPlaces.net used the following metrics to determine the rankings for the most sustainable cities in the U.S.:

• Percent of state power used from renewable sources
• Square feet of LEED buildings per capita
• Square feet of green space per capita
• Percent of commuters who use energy-efficient transportation
• Average number of vehicles per household
• Electric vehicles per capita
• State composting laws
• State beverage container deposit laws
• Battery recycling legislation and state ranking of batteries recycled per capita

1. Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city revered for its eco-consciousness. It is in the top 1% of the country for the power they generate from renewable sources. One of their largest energy efficiency projects to date has been converting 45,000 streetlights to use LED technology. Now, the city’s streetlights and traffic signals use 66% less energy than they did back in 2006, and Portland saves $1.5 million annually. Through its recycling and composting efforts, Portland recovers 81% of all waste produced by city operations and is on track to recover up to 90% by the year 2030.

For more information about greening Portland, checkout the Green Roof info Think-tank (GRiT). GRiT is a network of businesses, government agencies, non-profit organizations, researchers and community members joining together to grow the knowledge and use of green roofs in the Pacific Northwest.

Read more: The 15 Most Sustainable Cities In The US