The City of Atlanta has been recognized by CDP as one of 122 cities and counties across the globe that is taking bold leadership on environmental action and transparency, despite the pressures of a challenging global economic situation.

Designed to encourage and support local governments to ramp up their climate action and ambition, CDP’s Cities A List is based on environmental data disclosed by local governments to CDP-ICLEI Track. For the first time, more than 1,000 cities and counties (1,002) received a rating for their climate action from CDP in 2022—a rise on the 965 cities and counties scored in 2021. In 2022, just over one in ten local governments scored by CDP (12%) received an A.

“The City of Atlanta is proud to receive CDP’s highest recognition, Climate Action Leader, and be placed on the CDP Cities A List for the first time. With leadership from the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, the City is focused on tracking our progress and establishing a standard of transparency as we advance climate action goals—like our commitment to reach 100% Clean Energy for 100% of Atlantans by 2035,” said Mayor Andre Dickens. “When combined with our community partnerships, we can drive the urgent action needed to address the increasing impacts of climate change and build a more resilient and equitable future.”

To score an A, among other actions, a local government must disclose publicly through CDP-ICLEI Track and have a community-wide emissions inventory. It must have set a renewable energy target for the future and have published a climate action plan. It must also complete a climate risk and vulnerability assessment and have a climate adaptation plan to demonstrate how it will tackle climate hazards. Many A List cities and counties are also taking a variety of other leadership actions, such as political commitment from a city’s Mayor to tackle climate change. 

Atlanta and the other 121 cities and counties on this year’s A List are also celebrated for showing that urgent and impactful climate action—from ambitious emissions reduction targets to building resilience against climate change—is achievable at a global level, and in places with different climate realities and priorities.

Currently, the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience is focused on assessing the state of its goals, reviewing metrics, developing key pillars to inform an updated climate action and clean energy strategy and building relationships with key departments to leverage the allocation of federal resources to support environmental justice in climate action.

“Congratulations to Atlanta for earning a spot on the CDP Cities A List — one of 49 cities and counties in North America to make the list in 2022,” said Katie Walsh, Head of Cities, States, Regions and Public Authorities, CDP North America. “From mitigating carbon emissions in line with science, to building resilience against floods, drought, and other climate hazards, to centering marginalized and vulnerable communities in their response, A List local governments are demonstrating best-practice environmental action. Atlanta is in the vanguard of cities and counties leading the way toward a climate-safe future.”