Cities reveal global disparities in sustainability
Consultant, Arcadis, has called for “accelerated action in tackling climate change and other urban sustainability challenges” after its recently published annual ranking of 100 global cities on sustainability revealed “major disparities in sustainable progress”.
Arcadis said its sixth and latest Sustainable Cities Index (SCI) “reveals some clear differences between leading sustainable cities such as index-topping Amsterdam (1st), Copenhagen (3rd) and Munich (5th), and those trailing behind - particularly US powerhouses such as New York (48th) and Boston (56th), and Asian giants like Taipei (62nd).”
The index ranks 100 global cities across three pillars of sustainability: Planet, People, Profit. It uses 67 different metrics including air pollution, waste management, and investment in low-carbon infrastructure.
Overall, European cities dominate the top of the SCI. Notably all four German cities included in the index – Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin – claim spots in the top ten, buoyed by achievements in water sanitation and waste management, and low greenhouse gas emissions.
Arcadis said that, on progress over the past decade, many European cities have “continued to make significant strides – despite their highly sustainable starting points – to cement their position at the top of the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index”.
It lists Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, and Berlin as having sustained momentum to feature in the top third on progress and the top third of the index overall. “This is thanks to – in the case of Amsterdam in particular – a commitment to renewable energy production, as well as socio-economic factors such as female labor force participation, and healthcare”.
Top 20 Sustainable Cities:
Amsterdam
Rotterdam
Copenhagen
Frankfurt
Munich
Oslo
Hamburg
Berlin
Warsaw
London
Seoul
Stockholm
Edinburgh
Paris
Dublin
Vienna
Brussels
Singapore
Shanghai
Beijing
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