Green Tucson

How Tucson is Going Green?

For a city in the midst of a desert, Tucson doesn't have the stark landscape you might expect. Visitors are often surprised by the abundant plants and animals that make the Sonoran Desert unique.

But Tucson is "green" in other ways, too, and getting greener every day thanks to residents and leaders who cherish open spaces, clear skies, and clean water and want to keep them around for at least another five or six million years.

 


Solar City

We're one of 13 designated "Solar Cities" in the United States awarded $500K to dramatically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 through broad adoption of solar power.

 

Low CO2

In 2008, the Brookings Institution ranked Tucson 17th in its list of large U.S. metro cities with the lowest carbon emissions based on traffic and average household CO2 production.

 

Low Pollution

Also in 2008, the American Lung Association ranked Tucson #6 in the country for clean air and in 2010 named Tucson 6th in the country for lowest year-round particle pollution.

 

Water Conservation

As a desert community, we know how important clean, usable water is, that's why we are a leading city in the development of water-saving technologies such as groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, and desalination. Find out more about local efforts to conserve water from Tucson's Watershed Management Group.

Video: Harvesting Rain

Community Leadership

Many of the city's travel and tourism partners and corporate citizens are finding ways to support green initiatives and promote sustainable values throughout our community.

 

Living Our Values

We live our sustainable values through things like our numerous farmers' markets, hundreds of miles of bike paths and trails in and around the city, and recycling pickup service provided by City of Tucson Waste Management.

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