Seattle. A city to live in.
Sustainability
The Emerald City of Seattle is a trailblazer in sustainability. Some of its major initiatives are:
Renewable Energy
Over 80% of the power distributed across sustainable Seattle is generated from clean, carbon-free hydroelectricity. The city is committed to reducing Seattle’s carbon footprint, offering incentive schemes and discounts for residents that commit to energy efficient sources over fossil fuels. Seattle City Light has also committed to increasing the city’s solar capacity and has supported over three thousand residents and businesses through the instalment process. Additionally, the Washington goal to be 100% carbon free by 2045 will see the creation of many more employment opportunities due to the investment and implementation of a new infrastructure, featuring wind turbines, solar farms, and transmission lines.
Green Spaces
Ranked in the Top 15 cities worldwide for canopy coverage by the World Economic Forum, research shows that sustainable Seattle takes extensive care of its green space. Managing a 6,441-acre park system of over 480 parks, 12% of the city’s land is devoted to providing healthy and natural vegetation. Here, 97% of Seattle residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park or publicly owned green space, helping to support the community with their urban connection to nature.
Transportation
Transport is the largest source of carbon pollution in Washington, contributing to around 22% of total pollution and 45% of greenhouse gas emissions in the state. To combat this, a Clean Car Law has been introduced and in November 2021 a zero-emission vehicle standard was adopted that requires a percentage of all vehicles sold in the state to be zero-emission. Cars that do not pass emission standards cannot be registered and therefore cannot be driven in the state of Washington in an attempt to encourage sustainability in Seattle. Seattle has also increased its electric forms of public transport, adding two lines of streetcars and a Light Railway system for commuters and residents. One of Seattle’s goals is to have 30% of all new vehicles be electric by 2030. That means that Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations will have to be plentiful all over the city. These upgrades to general mobility will lower city pollution and provide cleaner air to the residents.
Recycling
The Green Business Program is a free resource by Seattle Public Utilities that provides recycling and conservation assistance to all Seattle businesses. In an attempt to encourage conscious recycling in sustainable Seattle, the city ordinance requires that recyclable and compostable materials be kept out of waste and violating businesses can be fined for every violation. Seattle Good Business Network has also launched the Washington Materials Marketplace to help encourage sustainability in Seattle. This online platform aims to create a closed-loop, collaborative network of organizations, businesses and entrepreneurs where hard-to-recycle materials become another organization’s raw materials.
