New Orleans among most improved cities in energy efficiency

• New Orleans was lauded for requiring EV charging in new residential and commercial buildings and adopting a plan for carbon-free power generation by 2040.
• Leaders also helped push the state to adopt updated building codes, the scorecard said.

Zoom in: The scorecard ranks the 75 most populous areas in the U.S. in terms of how they improved energy efficiency and reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

• San Francisco topped the scorecard, followed by Denver, Seattle and Los Angeles.
• New Orleans was No. 39.

Friction point: Cities need to do better embracing racial and social equity in their climate policies, especially those focused on buildings, the group says.

• People of color and low-income residents are too often left behind in the clean energy transition, wrote Stefen Samarripas, the report's lead author.

State of play: Mayor LaToya Cantrell has been vocal during her second term about how New Orleans is on the frontlines of adapting to climate change and extreme weather.

• She is in Canada this week for the Montréal Climate Summit, according to a City Hall press release sent at 1am Tuesday.
• It's her third international climate conference in about a year. She previously attended events in South Korea and Kenya.

What's next: The scorecard authors suggest New Orleans expand its bike network, require energy-efficient outdoor lighting and make changes to its zoning code.

Go deeper for the New Orleans' scorecard and full report