U.S. ranks low on list of energy efficient countries

It turns out Americans are more stubborn than residents of most other major countries when it comes to being energy efficient, a new report conducted by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEE) suggests.

The ACEE study ranked 12 of the world's largest economies in order of which ones employ the best practices in cutting down on energy consumption. Out of the 12 countries, the United States ranked ninth.

The study focused on four different categories: government-sponsored energy initiatives, efficiency standards in new construction stars, transportation policies and industrial practices.

The report notes that even though Americans are improving when it comes to environmental awareness and decreasing energy consumption, they lag far behind the majority of leading economies when it comes to changing their ways.

A big factor that contributed to America's low ranking is the national government's inability to pass legislation that would make tighten energy consumption standards for citizens.

Some U.S. stateshave begun creating and enforcing construction standards that would improve upon current regulations for new construction projects. California newspaper The Los Angeles Times reported in May that the state's legislature would seek to pass a revised set of building codes that would significantly reduce the legal limit on emissions produced by new structures.

Individual homeowners can be proactive about energy efficiency without waiting for the government to catch up with global trends. By getting an energy audit from a home inspector, citizens can determine what steps they should take to make their homes more environmentally friendly.