New York Ranked A Top 'Green' State: Study

NEW YORK — New York was named the third greenest state in the United States, according to a 2022 study by Wise Voter.

The Empire State ranks in the top 10 among many categories that relate to being friendly to climate change.

Wise Voter, which calls itself a bipartisan education website, compared all 50 states on five key dimensions: carbon emissions, green tech adoption, landfill usage, recycling, and green policies. These dimensions are ranked using 43 relevant metrics. Wise Voter said it aims to "bring more awareness on climate change."

Here is the full Wise Voter study and methodology.

Below are the three main New York insights, according to Wise Voter:

1. New York Leads the Nation in Landfill Usage: New York ranks the highest among the nation when it comes to usage of landfills, including individual waste management, food waste and zero waste stores.

2. New York is a Top-5 State in Green Policies: The state ranks at #4 in green policies including plastic bans and recycling laws.

3. New York is a Top-5 Recycling State: Despite New York’s population and high tourism, it ranks at #5 with a score of 10.17 while the national average is 6.25 when it comes to the recycling category.

Additionally, New York ranks at #8 in carbon emission and #14 in the adoption of "green" technology, according to the Wise Voter study.

The Empire State has a total of 64.55 points in the study's scoring system. Only California (#1) and Maine (#2) ranked ahead of New York on the national level.

Louisiana came in 50th, according to Wise Voter.