An interesting visual depicting the world's most environmentally sustainable cities.

1. T H E T O P
15 MOST
ENVIRONMENTALLY
SUSTAINABLE CITIES
I N T H E W O R L D

2. EVER WONDER WHO’S
REALLY DOING IT RIGHT?

3. WELL HERE THEY ARE

4. 15 Birmingham
U N I T E D K I N G D O M
Birmingham’s score reflects the credentials of the city’s
natural environment and amenities, including its limited
exposure to natural catastrophes, such as flooding and
earthquakes. Low levels of pollution and access to clean
drinking water also contribute to it’s rating.

6. 14Manchester
U N I T E D K I N G D O M
The “Manchester 2020 Strategic Plan” outlines a clear focus
on sustainability that is being actively worked towards.
Reduction in the city’s detrimental environmental impact, in
development as well as other areas, and the installment of
environmental KPI measurement, have also helped secure
Manchester’s ranking.

8. 13 Copenhagen
D E N M A R K
Copenhagen is a city by the sea with water running through
the old canals, with lakes, beaches, and harbour baths. So
it’s no surprise that it ranks high in sustainability
assessments. Long known for its addiction to clean healthy
cycling, Copenhagen’s most ambitious urban planning
project so far is the development of the city’s Nordhavn
district.

10. 12 Singapore
S I N G A P O R E
Singapore has set an ambitious goal to make at least 80% of
all buildings ‘green’ by 2030 as part of a concerted push to
create a vibrant and high-quality living environment, that is
resilient and supports the broader climate change agenda.
Additional resiliency investment is also underway, including a
‘close the loop’ water strategy.

12. 11 Madrid
S P A I N
Madrid’s ranking is the result of being among the top cities
in the categories of CO2 emissions, energy, mobility and
waste management. On the other hand, measures to
enhance greenspace areas (which have increased over 30%
in the last 9 years) have also considerably helped their
ranking.

14. 10 Hamburg
G E R M A N Y
Hamburg has spent decades working to improve the quality
of life for its residents while shrinking its ecological footprint.
Over the last 20 years, these changes have been manifested
in a variety of ways, including alterations in transportation
infrastructure, sustaining greenspaces within the city,
building codes and innovations for greater efficiency, and
promotion of individual behavior changes to support
sustainability.

16. 9 London
U N I T E D K I N G D O M
Programs such as the “2020 Vision” to make London ‘The
Greatest City on Earth’ has improved it’s ranking over recent
years. A solid commitment to improving environmental
performance of the city through low emission buses,
environmental clean-up programs, and expansion of urban
tree canopy cover; have all aided it’s ranking.

18. 8 Sydney
A U S T R A L I A
Sydney’s ranking is reflected by it’s abundance of green
space and the quality of its air, drinking water, and
sanitation. The Sustainable Sydney 2030 initiative has
ambitious targets to reduce the city’s carbon emissions by
70%, reflected in its performance against the greenhouse
gas emissions indicator.

20. 7 Rome
I T A L Y
Rome is pushing initiatives designed to reduce carbon
emissions with respect to air pollution and climate change.
They also incorporate green initiatives into economic policy,
including “greening” the tax code, expanding environment-
related markets, and investing in green technology. Rome is
also hosting the 2017 International Conference on
Sustainable Development.

22. 6 Wellington
N E W Z E A L A N D
Initiatives such as the “Sustainable Development
Programme” have put Wellington’s “green growth” higher
on the priority list. They also continuously strengthen the
sustainability components of their urban growth plan. A
clear goal to create resilient and liveable cities has secured
Wellington’s ranking.

24. 5 Frankfurt
G E R M A N Y
“Green City Frankfurt” (as the city refers to itself) has a long
track record of proactively taking action to improve its
sustainability. Recognized as the European City of Trees in
2014 – not only is every tree registered and monitored, the
information is also publicly available online. Frankfurters also
enjoy Germany’s largest urban forest with more than 8,000
hectares, meaning one third of the city is under canopy
cover.

26. 4 Vienna
A U S T R I A
Moving around Vienna on foot is a particularly pleasant way
of sightseeing and understanding why the city is the fourth
most environmentally sustainable city in the world. Between
it’s parks on the Ringstrasse to urban green spaces such as
the Augarten, more than half of the metropolitan area is
made up of green space.

28. 3 Geneva
S W I T Z E R L A N D
As the home of the UN Center for International
Environmental Law, Geneva sets an example in promoting
climate neutrality. There are far fewer cars in the city center
than most urban areas, since driving is actively discouraged
to cut pollution. Buses and trams run on green energy, and
all major roads are required to have bicycle paths.

30. 2 Stockholm
S W E D E N
Stockholm’s environmental program includes sustainable
energy use, in addition to sustainable use of land and water.
Their vision is to be an attractive and growing city, where the
needs of people and nature complement each other in an
environment characterized by functionality, quality and
biological diversity.

32. 1 Zurich
S W I T Z E R L A N D
Zurich is known for its strong focus on the environment,
having put environmental protection as an integral part of
shaping a sustainable city. The city’s support for private
initiatives and projects that contribute to enhancing
sustainability has also helped encourage it’s citizens and
businesses to take part in shaping what is currently the most
sustainable city in the world.

34. NOW IT’S TIME
FOR YOU TO
RE
THINK
S U S T A I N A B I L I T Y

35. greenblue.com
FIND OUT HOW