Sustainability Index: Ranking The States On Their Sustainability Efforts (2024)

Sustainability efforts are spreading across the nation, and in many states, citizens are making more significant efforts toward reducing their environmental footprint. Pursuing sustainability efforts means taking action on climate and clean energy and maintaining and promoting conditions to make a difference in the environment to support current and future generations.

When it comes to sustainability efforts within each state of the U.S., there are different levels of involvement. Forbes Home examined all 50 states on factors like water usage and solar energy consumption. Some states demonstrated their efforts at prioritizing conservation and eco-conscious practices better than others. However, collectively, the move toward greater sustainable practices from state to state is a positive upward trend. Sustainability is here to stay.

What Is Sustainability?

Sustainability is built on the principle that Earth’s natural resources are limited. In order for human beings and all living things to survive and thrive, our natural environment must be protected. By promoting and practicing sustainability, human beings create balance within the economy, the environment and within as many aspects of life as possible. Sustainability efforts are not new concepts—the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 made sustainability a national policy.

Sustainability is important to preserve Earth and its natural resources. This requires cultivating sustainable ways of living to reduce pollution and protect our environment. Sustainable efforts can include establishing sustainable business practices and economic development, such as green technology and eco-friendly supply chains to reduce air, water and waste pollution.

There are some common sustainable practices that all people can do that can be easy and go a long way. These include not using plastic bags or straws to keep the oceans clear, planting trees, composting, recycling glass, paper and aluminum, reducing energy use by going solar (choosing among the top solar panels, for example), conserving water, upgrading to energy-efficient appliances, driving an electric car and more.

Environmental Friendliness by State

Sustainability efforts are an ongoing challenge and one that all Americans can play a part in. While many states have made great strides toward achieving those goals, some states are less environmentally active or friendly.

Environmental quality and eco-friendly behaviors are a few factors to consider when it comes to evaluating sustainability efforts by state. Things like air, water and soil pollution and the number of electric cars and solar panels can demonstrate how green a state is. That being said, it’s important to take these rankings with a grain of salt because populations can vary so greatly from state to state, as can industries, both of which can affect energy consumption.

Forbes’ data ranked the state of Massachusetts as being the most environmentally friendly state and North Dakota as the least environmentally friendly state.

Massachusetts’ water usage was 200.57 gallons a day, compared to North Dakota’s 1,796.96 gallons a day. Massachusetts’ energy use was 192.2 million BTU per year while North Dakota’s was 904.9. When it comes to solar friendliness though, Massachusetts got a ranking of five. North Dakota was last on the list with a solar-friendliness ranking of 50.

As for the most solar-friendly state in the U.S., that goes to California. In terms of water usage, Vermont uses the least amount of water in the nation. Rhode Island uses the least energy. By contrast, Wyoming has the distinction of using the most water at 14,111.19 gallons a day. Alaska has the most energy use at 931.9 million BTU a year.

After Massachusetts, the rest of the top five environmentally friendly states are Rhode Island, New York, California and Florida. Nebraska, Montana, Louisiana and Wyoming round out the five least environmentally friendly states with North Dakota at the bottom.

The Most Sustainable States

Being ranked in the top five environmentally friendly states means in many cases that these states and their citizens have really worked hard at sustainability efforts. Here’s a breakdown of what those efforts looked like, per Forbes Home data:

Massachusetts

The Bay State topped the list as the most environmentally friendly state in the U.S. It is the second-lowest state for water usage, fifth on the list for lowest energy use and is ranked No. 5 in terms of its solar friendliness.

Rhode Island

The Ocean State ranked second on the list of environmentally friendly states, third on the list of the states with the lowest water usage, No. 1 for lowest energy use and No. 20 for solar friendliness.

New York

The Empire State is ranked third on the list of most sustainable states. It has the ninth-lowest water usage, second-lowest energy use and ranked 13th for solar friendliness.

California

The Golden State is No. 4 on the list of most sustainable states in the nation. It is 18th on the list for lowest water usage, fourth for lowest energy usage and No. 1 for solar friendliness.

Florida

The Sunshine State is fifth on the list of sustainable states and number 15 for lowest water usage. It is number seven for both lowest energy use and solar friendliness.

The Least Sustainable States

When it comes to sustainability efforts, some states have taken longer to catch on. These states have earned a lower place on the list as the least sustainable states. These include the following:

Nebraska

The Cornhusker State is No. 46 on the list of sustainable states in the nation. The state is fourth on the list for most water usage and ninth for most energy use. Nebraska ranks number 42 for solar friendliness.

Montana

The Treasure State is No. 47 on the list of sustainable states. It is third on the list for most water usage, 11th for most energy use and 45 for solar friendliness.

Louisiana

The Pelican State is 48th on the list of sustainable states. It is No. 6 for most water usage, second for most energy use and 38th for solar friendliness.

Wyoming

The Equality State is the second-least-sustainable state at 49. The state is the highest of all states in terms of water usage at 14,111.10 gallons a day. It is fourth on the list for most energy usage and 41 for solar friendliness.

North Dakota

Of all 50 states, the Sioux State is the least sustainable state of all. It is 7th on the list for most water usage, third for most energy usage and 50th for solar friendliness.

The Future of Sustainability

The UN World Commission on Environment and Development defines sustainability development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Addressing the climate crisis means pursuing sustainability efforts that change the way people grow food, use the land, move goods and power economies. Renewable energy and the use of electric cars on a greater scale can help achieve these efforts. Things like conservation, greening of food supply chains, improving agricultural practices and land restoration can go a long way.

You can start saving energy at home by switching to LED and energy-efficient appliances and changing your home’s energy source. Switching to renewable sources of energy like wind or solar, can decrease your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of CO2e per year, according to the UN. Other things you can do are walk, bike or take public transportation to reduce greenhouse emissions. If you choose to drive, switching to an electric vehicle can help reduce air pollution. Homeowners can also help by recycling and reducing their waste by buying less and reusing and repairing items.

Many more businesses are pledging to move to 100% renewable energy in the next few decades. The global RE100 initiative, led by the Climate Group and the Carbon Disclosure Project, has organized more than 280 of the world’s largest companies to pledge to power their operations using 100% renewable electricity by 2050.

Google announced its operations carbon neutral in 2017 and pledged that all data centers and campuses will be carbon-free by 2030. Facebook announced plans to eliminate its carbon footprint in 2020, including all of its suppliers within 10 years. Amazon ordered 100,000 electric delivery vehicles and pledged that its logistics operations will have net-zero emissions by 2040.

The International Energy Agency found that the technologies employed on the market today can only reach half of the reductions that the world needs to establish net-zero emissions by 2050. All countries in the world play a pivotal role, with China playing the biggest role in determining the future of sustainability initiatives, due to the country being the leading emitter of carbon dioxide and the largest producer of wind and solar energy.

The U.S. also plays a large role. The U.S. is the world's largest economy and has the second-largest carbon footprint after China. The country has worked toward making solar power more affordable for Americans through the SunShot initiative and by encouraging Americans to reduce their energy consumption through the Better Buildings Challenge.

Every state can aid in sustainable development by implementing green infrastructure and incentives to install and use renewable energy. Practicing sustainability includes conserving water and energy, reducing waste, reusing and recycling, composting, carpooling, using public transportation, choosing energy-efficient appliances and installing solar panels. Citizens working together across the U.S. can make a significant impact on the environment.

Summary

Every state can play a role in helping the environment. Some states have worked harder than others on their sustainability efforts but more needs to be done. Massachusetts ranked the highest in the nation for its sustainability efforts, while North Dakota ranked the lowest. Rhode Island, New York, California and Florida, rounded out the rest of the top five most sustainable states. Nebraska, Montana, Louisiana and Wyoming round out the bottom five.

The rankings show that while several states are making sustainability efforts, there is still more to be done. Climate change is a dire global issue that needs the immediate attention and action of the global community. The U.S. government plays an important role in creating laws and policies and providing funding to support sustainability efforts at the state and national levels.

The Environmental Protection Agency, the National Research Council and the Department of the Interior are some entities leading the way. But every individual plays a part in helping the environment for our livelihood today and future generations. Sustainable living practices can help reduce pollution and conserve natural resources. Whether it's driving an electric car, installing solar or recycling and composting, every effort can make a difference.

Methodology

To determine our State Sustainability Index, Forbes Home included three metrics that capture a state’s commitment to minimizing its impact on the natural environment. These metrics were water use, energy use, and solar-friendliness. The three metrics were ranked and weighted across all 50 states to calculate our final State Sustainability Index.

The data on water use comes from the U.S. Geological Survey’s 2018 publication on water use in 2015, the most recent year for which data was available. Our analysis uses the USGS estimates for total water withdrawals in each state, regardless of the water’s end-use, which includes irrigation, public water supply, industrial use, thermoelectric power generation, and other uses. These total water withdrawals per state (in millions of gallons per day) were then divided by the state’s population to calculate each state’s per capita water use each day.

Energy use data comes from the Energy Information Administration’s State Profiles and Energy Estimates. Our calculations used each state’s 2021 energy use per capita, in millions of British thermal units (BTUs). Again we disregarded what the end user of the energy was in favor of total usage. These final consumers included residential, commercial, industrial and transportation energy users.

Solar-friendliness was determined by Forbes Home in The Worst and Best States for Solar Energy. That analysis was based on current solar infrastructure, the number of solar jobs, the number of clear days per year, and installation costs of new solar infrastructure. This information was sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the National Solar Jobs Census Report, Energy.gov, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

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Sources

• UCLA Sustainability
• United States Environmental Protection Agency
• Eos
• Department of Economic and Social Affairs
• World Economic Forum
• Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies
• United Nations Act Now
• International Energy Agency