Mayor Thomas Menino has promised his environmentally friendly measures will turn Beantown into greentown, but some environmentalists say the efforts are only the beginning of the long road toward sustainability.

Within the last year, Boston has been named the third greenest city in America by Popular Science magazine and the seventh most sustainable city in the nation by SustainLane, a national organization dedicated to promoting environmental sustainability.

Menino introduced measures last April to increase recycling by at least 10 percent over the next five years and plant 100,000 trees in Boston by 2020 — a goal that requires planting 20 trees a day for more than 13 years.

Boston Environmental and Energy Services Chief James Hunt said the city recognizes global climate change has local impacts requiring local solutions that can create more jobs.

“The city is stepping up to lead by example to do its part, and we are encouraging businesses and residents to do the same,” he said.

The city will require all new construction and renovations of city facilities to have silver certification from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a program that ensures energy efficiency and sustainability in buildings. Boston will also require all municipal departments to obtain at least 11.7 percent of their power from renewable resources, Hunt said.

Recycling rates in the South End has more than doubled in the past six months, Hunt said. Jamaica Plain and Roslindale have increased their recycling by 53 percent in pilot recycling programs, he said.

“These strategies are not only good for the environment but they also save money,” he said.

Hunt said the city engaged in a yearlong dialogue with developers, property owners and the construction industry to develop green ideas.

“That’s the Boston approach, bringing people together for the common goal of improving the environment and energy consumption, reducing costs and greening the city in a way that reflects the values of all Bostonians.”

Carol Tombari, U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory stakeholder relations manager, called Menino’s environmental goals “feasible,” but said energy efficiency would improve them.

“Even at the lab we say that you should always do energy efficiency first,” Tombari said. “There is so much waste built into our 20th century system.”

Energy efficient practices like conserving water and using compact fluorescent bulbs may cost more in the short term, but save the government funds in the long run because traditional fuel prices are increasing, Tombari said.

“Those costs are not going to come down because they are depletable resources,” she said. “We cannot abandon the power plants and the lines we have today.”

Making the switch to renewable energy is an expensive process, but the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative provides grants and rebates to help businesses and homeowners put up clean energy installations.

The MTC would continue working with city and state officials to support renewable energy installations and stimulate clean energy business, MTC spokeswoman Emily Dahl said in an email.

“Many citizens and businesses or other facilities around Boston are putting up renewable energy systems,” Dahl said. “If the trend continues, Boston will become a greener city.”

Christine Volden, sales and business development vice president of environmental awareness website SustainLane, said cities ranked higher on the greenest list like San Francisco and Portland, Ore., are not doing anything better than Boston; they are simply doing more.

“There aren’t a lot of incentives that the city gives to people and programs for air and water quality, so even just creating those programs in the city could make an improvement,” she said.

Taber Allison, Massachusetts Audubon Society conservation science and ecological management vice president, said Boston’s Environmentally-conscious moves benefit the well-being of the earth and all of its citizens.

“We live in the environment and the health of the environment is important for human health,” Allison said.