Europe dominates global top 10 most sustainable cities list

The top 10 most sustainable cities are dominated by those from Europe and the UK.

European cities fill most of the top ten positions in a list of the most sustainable cities in the world. Sustainability is crucial in the forward-thinking society that we live in.

It’s one of those key buzzwords that not many really take the time to consider, however, if you’re thinking of moving and want to factor sustainability into your choice of city, then take a look at the Sustainable Cities Index from think tank ARCADIS.

1. Frankfurt

2. London

3. Copenhagen

4. Amsterdam

5. Rotterdam

6. Berlin

7. Seoul

8. Hong Kong

9. Madrid

10. Singapore

European cities dominate throughout the list, taking the top six places and seven of the top ten overall. London came a close second to Frankfurt, actually scoring better in the People sub-index, but Frankfurt’s stellar performance in the Planet and Profit sub-indices helped lift it to top of the charts.

The cities are ranked based upon three demands of People, Planet and Profit, it’s the blend between these criteria that truly creates a sustainable city.

The People sub-index measures the social performance of a city by using nine separate indicators. These investigate the interaction between a city and its community.

To measure the Planet sub-index, the analysts looked at environmental performance. This focused on resource consumption and disposal, with risk of exposure to natural catastrophes being used as the second component of the overall measure.

Profit’s sub-index aims to provide a picture of a city’s economic sustainability. It is linked to performance if viewed from a business perspective.

Two other British cities also made it into the top 20. Manchester was 14th and was noted for its good quality of life, while Birmingham came in 18th and received commendations for its high level of environmental performance.

“London is a city with a great international profile, widely regarded as one of the top cities in the world as evidenced in the Sustainable Cities Index,” the report said.