Much of the coverage of environmental policy focuses on the actions of countries, states or major cities like New York or Paris.

But a community doesn’t have to be large to make a difference for the planet or their local ecosystems. Here are seven of the U.S.’s greenest small towns and cities.

Ithaca, New York

If you’re looking for a green small town to visit or would like to live in an eco-friendly city with the same name as Greek hero Odysseus’ hometown, Ithaca might just be for you.

Nestled on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of the state, Ithaca adopted its own Green New Deal on June 5, 2019. Some of the goals of the city’s green resolution include community-wide carbon neutrality by 2030, a reduction of 50 percent of emissions from the city’s fleet of vehicles by 2025 and for all electricity used for government operations to be met with renewables by 2025.

Ithaca’s vehicle traffic has been reduced by a car share program and a bus system that is partially electric. In 2024, the first fossil-fuel-free conference center is slated to open with an entirely electric kitchen.

The town also adopted the Ithaca Energy Code Supplement, which requires all new buildings to meet net-zero energy requirements by 2026.

“On decarbonization, and frankly, just about every issue… no one is coming to save us. Whether on climate or infrastructure… we have more determination we will have to save ourselves,” said Ithaca Mayor Svante Myrick, as CNBC reported. “This is the biggest step we’ve taken towards decarbonization and maybe the biggest step any city has taken.”

Ithaca’s farmers’ market turns 50 this year and its vendors are ultra-local — all 160 of them are required to be located within a 30-mile radius of the city.

Farm-to-table is no new thing in Ithaca; the pioneering Moosewood restaurant — a leader in vegetarian gastronomy — was founded there as a workers’ collective in 1973.

Besides having espoused green and forward-thinking policies for decades, Ithaca is surrounded by pristine natural beauty, including three state parks and more than 150 waterfalls within ten miles of town.

Read the full article about green towns by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes at EcoWatch.