If you’re trying to reduce a city’s global warming pollution, take a look at the skyline, not just the traffic in the street.

Angelides: “In our cities, buildings account for a much larger percentage of carbon pollution – as much as 50 to 75 percent of city-wide carbon dioxide emissions. It’s a source of emissions that a lot of people don’t realize.”

That’s Christina Angelides of the Natural Resources Defense Council. She’s the director of the City Energy Project, which helps 20 cities, from Atlanta to Los Angeles, improve energy efficiency in buildings.

Angelides: “This is a growing area of interest for cities because it’s so practical and common sense.”

The source of wasted energy varies, but Angelides says that some of the biggest culprits are poor insulation, incandescent lightbulbs, older appliances, and outdated heating and cooling systems.

Angelides: “So making cost-effective improvements like adding insulation, changing out lighting, can have a big impact on reducing harmful pollution in our cities.”

And as an added bonus, building owners and tenants can save money on their energy bills.

So as cities look for ways to reduce global warming pollution, it’s vital to upgrade and modernize the spaces we live in.

Reporting credit: ChavoBart Digital Media.

Image graphic: Created by David McCarthy. Map courtesy of City Energy Project.

Note: Christina Angelides is co-director of the City Energy Project, a joint initiative of NRDC and the Institute for Market Transformation.