The report found that metro area residents have smaller carbon footprints than the average American. However, metro footprints vary widely. Population density and the availability of public transit are important to understanding carbon footprints, as are development patterns, rail transit, the carbon intensity of electricity generation, electricity prices, and weather.

Carbon emissions in the United States have increased by almost 1 percent each year since 1980. Residential and commercial buildings account for 39 percent of US carbon emissions. Transportation accounts for 1/3 of emissions, and industry is responsible for 28 percent. Total U.S. carbon emissions are projected to grow by 16 percent between 2006 and 2030. Meeting the climate challenge will require adaptation and innovation in metropolitan America. An effective climate strategy must focus on reducing carbon emissions from all three sectors.

All of the metro areas with the largest per capita carbon footprints in 2005 were located in the East-Central and Eastern United States, while most of the metro areas with the smallest footprints were located in the West. Density, concentration of development, and rail transit all tend to be higher in metro areas with small per capita footprints. Much of what appears as regional variation may be attributed to these spatial factors.

Columbus was ranked No. 83 with 2.95 metric tons per capita. No. 1, Honolulu, HI, had the least CO2 emissions, 1.36. Other Ohio cities ranked were: Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor No. 31 (2.24), Akron No. 62 (2.64), Youngstown-Warren No. 73 (2.76), Dayton No. 75 (2.77) and startlingly, Toledo No. 97 (3.24) and Cincinnati-Middletown No. 98 (3.28).

Numerous market and policy distortions inhibit metropolitan actors from more aggressively addressing the nation’s climate challenge. Economy-wide problems include underpriced energy, underfunded energy research, missing federal standards, distorted utility regulations, and inadequate information. Policy impediments include a bias against public transit, inadequate federal leadership on freight and land-use planning, failure to encourage energy- and location-efficient housing decisions, and the fragmentation of federal transportation, housing, energy, and environmental policies. Five economy-wide federal actions are critical to achieving the nation’s climate goals:

These five policies are critical to achieving the nation’s climate goals. As important as they are, however, they do not recognize the role of the built environment in reducing demand for energy and thus in shrinking the nation’s carbon footprint. The federal government should act swiftly to: