17 Most Sustainable Cities In The World: Green Eco-Friendly Towns
If you’re looking to travel to a city that’s sustainable, there are many ones making an effort to recycle more, use renewable energy, and meet UN sustainable development goals. These cities all offer some great green spaces for you to relax in as well.
You can continue to live sustainably and practice eco-friendly habits to keep your footprint minimal. We previously put together an article on the most sustainable countries in 2020. But you might also wonder what some of the most Eco-friendly cities in the world are today.
We’ve compiled a list of towns doing great things to move towards sustainable living and make the planet a greener place. Here are the greenest cities in the world.
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
The Telegraph dubbed Copenhagen as the greenest city in the world for a number of positive reasons. First off, all of their buses are changing from diesel to electric energy. Additionally, more of their roads are being specifically made for biking with electric bikes being sold at a low cost.
Another cool thing about Copenhagen is that two-thirds of their hotels are eco-certified, indicating they follow the top standards for sustainable energy, food, and design. Much of their restaurants sell food made of organic ingredients and they have vending machines where you can recycle materials and receive a deposit.
Copenhagen hopes to become carbon neutral by 2025. With all of these positive developments, it’s hard not to think this is the most Eco-friendly city.
2. Zurich, Switzerland
Here are some stats that will show you why Zurich is near the top of our list of environmentally-friendly cities in the world. Over 80% of their electricity is now coming from renewable energy sources. Over 40% of the city’s waste gets recycled.
Lastly, Over 70% of their hotels are sustainable certified. Similar to Copenhagen, they have bikes all over the city and they offer theirs free of any charge. Zurich is definitely a green city that every city around the world can learn from.
3. Bristol UK
The city of Bristol was the first British city that was named European Green capital. It’s an award given to a town for it’s effort in responding to urban environmental challenges.
It’s also recognized as the UK’s most eco-friendly city. Bristol has good air quality and continues to grow in the number of cyclists on the road.
Another reason this city tops the list of Britain’s greenest cities is a survey found that residents the recycle or compost 47% of their household waste. They also consume below 3,000KWh of gas in a year. All this and more make Bristol a great sustainable place to visit.
4. London, UK
One of the big things that makes London an eco-friendly city is they have over 3,000 green spaces and parks, which makes up 40% of the city. The city was actually ranked as the most environmentally-friendly city by the IESE Cities in Motion Index 2020.
London hopes to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They’re investing n diesel-electric hybrid buses. They hope by 2037 all 9,200 of their buses will produce zero emissions.
5. San Francisco
San Francisco’s eco revolution has been transforming the community in recent years. About 77% of the waste in San Francisco is recycled. The city was also the first in American to prohibit the use of plastic.
Another great green stat that San Francisco boasts is about 13.8 out of every 10,0000 homes uses solar energy, which double the average in the US. Lastly, San Francisco is one of the top places you can travel car-free. You can enjoy walking all over this sustainable city.
6. New York City, New York
As surprising as it may seem, New York City has also been ranked as one of the leading eco-friendly cities in the world. More of their apartment complexes are being built with heating and water preservation in mind.
Additionally, more people in New York City are driving low emission cars, and businesses within the New York capital are adopting more eco-friendly measures. Urban gardening has all become a big thing in the big apple.
Small gardens are being placed on balconies, terraces, and rooftops. They’re also being placed in apartments and buildings as well. In many ways, NYC is leading the way on achieving better sustainability in the United States.
7. Paris, France
With an international treaty on climate change named after them, Paris is considered to be a very eco-friendly city. The city has seen a 9.2% drop in greenhouse gas emissions over the ten year period between 2004 and 2014. The city is continuing to implement more initiatives that encourage sustainable mobility and helps to create a more sustainable city.
8. Tokyo, Japan
With the Olympics arriving in Tokyo this summer, the city announced that 100% of the electricity used to power the Games will be from renewable sources. The city hopes that by 2030, 50% of all the new cars that are sold will be zero-emission.
Tokyo also plans to have 30% of it’s city run by renewable energy sources. They also continue to lead in having one of the most low-carbon emission public transportation systems around the world.
9. Reykjavik, Iceland
Reykjavik is a city that leads in having a variety of hydroelectric and natural geothermal resources. As a result, the city can be completely powered by renewable energy sources without costing much.
A majority of Reykjavik’s electricity is powered by hydroelectric dams that are built on glacial rivers. The city uses the hot springs, geysers, and other natural heat sources to provide heating for their buildings. This is definitely an example of a town using all the resources they have to their advantage for a greener community.
10. Berlin, Germany
The city of Berlin has over 30% of it’s city filled with woodland and green spaces. People who live in Berlin also tend to be more interested in riding bikes than using cars. They also prefer to use public transport as well.
Another cool thing they choose to do more is make clothes and furniture in DIY workshops rather than buying new clothes. This city is only just beginning to reach its full eco-friendly potential.
11. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is hoping to become completely free of fossil fuels by 2040. One of the things helping them work towards that is bio-fuel generated from sewage.
The city has it available at petrol stations and it’s used by a lot of cars and taxis. Stockholm is also planning to reuse wasted heat from a stadium to heat up shops, restaurants, and houses.
12. Singapore, Singapore
Singapore’s Sustainability efforts have led to them being recognized as the most eco-friendly city in Asia. Singapore is working to green 80% of their buildings by 2030. The city wants to become one of the world’s most eco-friendly cities in the future.
But for now, they’re considered the most green city in Asia. It’s one of the leading towns in the world for having trees in the area.
Nearly 40% of Singapore’s water comes from used water that’s been purified and treated. With this much innovation, this city is sure to become a leader in sustainability for years to come.
13. Ljubljana, Slovenia
Ljubljana is a sustainability-minded destination for it’s green mobility and sustainable urban planning. Many of the people choose to ride bikes rather than cars. They also have a Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship that circles the city with its 7,000 trees.
14. Montevideo, Uruguay
Montevideo’s sustainable strategy is to protect it’s natural eco systems and rural environments. Uruguay has up to 98% of it’s electricity supplied by renewable energy.
15. Vancouver, Canada
The Economic Intelligence unit recognized Vancouver’s sustainability by voting it the third most green city in the world. The city has set many ambitious goals, including striving to be zero waste by 2040. Similar to other places on this list, Vancouver is also very bike-friendly as well.
16. Vienna, Austria
More than half of Vienna is said to be made up of green spaces.The city has 2,000 parks to enjoy walking in. Additionally, 30% of it’s energy comes from renewable energy sources. Reasonance Consultancy ranked Vienna first among green cities around the world.
17. Grenoble, France
Grenoble is the European Green Capital for 2022. The city achieved a 25% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions between 2005 and 2016. They hope to achieve a 50% reduction by the year 2030.
Final thoughts on Eco-friendly cities
If you didn’t see your city on this list, consider taking action by contacting your local officials. Ask questions and express your concerns about what’s being done to make your community more sustainable.
It takes one person at a time starting with yourself. Do your part to learn more about how to start a sustainable lifestyle, and help others become more aware of how to do it as well. Together we can inspire our communities to become more Eco-friendly and make a more sustainable environment.
