12 Cities Leading the Way in Sustainability

Austin has committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2020. The mayor leading the city in its attempt to meet that goal is Lee Leffingwell, a former airline pilot who, after retiring, was appointed to the city’s Environmental Board by the Austin City Council. Austin’s Green Choice program — which enables Austin residents to pay more of their electric bills in exchange for energy from green sources — has been the most successful program of its kind nine years running. Austin is also literally one of America’s greenest cities, with over 19,000 acres of parkland — or about 30 square miles — covering more than 10 percent of the city.