Thankfully, there are a lot of cities that value nature and environmentally friendly living. There are no perfect cities, and many still have a long way to go before being fully sustainable. However, the quality of life in these places is improving, as is the preservation and protection of the environment and our planet.
The sustainability of our planet is under more jeopardy than ever due to a rise in population and technological advancements that are altering the way we live. It’s getting worse, from the production of dangerous gases to excessive garbage levels.
Globally, governments and municipal authorities are feeling the strain from their own population, particularly Generation Z, who are well-known for advocating for environmental reform and pushing for nations to consider new approaches to being more sustainable and addressing this global issue.
Here are the top 10 most eco-friendly cities:
Copenhagen, Denmark
Due to its dedication to fostering environmentally friendly lifestyles and sustainability, Copenhagen has repeatedly been named the world’s most eco-friendly city. This community values cycling greatly and hopes to have half of its residents bike to work or school this year.
Copenhagen has risen to the top spot among the world’s most environmentally friendly cities as a result of ongoing investments in green alternatives. The city has an ambitious plan to become even more environmentally friendly while yet providing its citizens with a great quality of life.
By 2025, the nation’s capital will also have achieved CO2-neutral status. Only 29% of families own a car, and the city has added extra cycle lanes because more people prefer cycling over driving to get around. Since the majority of the city’s hotels now lend out bicycles to visitors, cycling has become even more well-liked.
A growing trend in the city is organic eating; 24 percent of the food sold there is organic. Additionally, 88 percent of the food served in public institutions is organic. There is no reason why you shouldn’t wish to visit Copenhagen, which is continually introducing new initiatives to promote an eco-friendly way of living.
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is well known for having more bicycles than people (bikes are actually stacked on top of one another in the streets!) and is the most bicycle-friendly capital city in the world. Biking not only promotes a healthy population but also considerably lowers
The introduction of electric vehicles around the city, together with about 300 charging stations, is how the authorities are attempting to limit the amount of pollution produced by vehicles.
Homes are attempting to go greener as well. More homeowners are starting to place solar panels on their roofs, produce their own food, or buy it from a local farmer’s market, all of which contribute to the local economy.
Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is renowned for its impeccable cleanliness, absence of polluting heavy industry, and world-class public transportation system. Not to mention how wonderfully lovely the Swedish countryside is.
On our list, Stockholm comes in at number three. It has more than 50 bridges and 14 islands, has made its fair share of advancements to assist its residents in leading more sustainable lifestyles. By introducing new rules that promote a greener society and receiving financial assistance from the European Union to become smarter, the big metropolis is working toward eliminating the usage of fossil fuels by the year 2040. Additionally, bio-fuel, which is produced from sewage waste and is growing in popularity, is being used to power automobiles in the city.
The 30,000-seat stadium in Stockholm also has the potential to recycle waste heat. Utilizing sustainable techniques, recovered heat might be able to warm over 1,000 apartments more effectively.
Berlin, Germany
Berlin is a very big and crowded city, but it’s also renowned for its unconventional approach to environmental preservation. Berlin boasts more parks than any other city in Europe and integrates green spaces nicely into the urban landscape. To find out how Berlin’s neighborhoods are dedicated to recycling, resource conservation, and fostering a sustainable environment, check out the Alternative Berlin Green Tour.
With a population of over 3.47 million, Berlin is perhaps one of the most well-known cities in the world. So why is it ranked fourth on our list?
After World War I, locals learned to cultivate their own food, which has been a practice that has been carried down through the generations. They also became quite self-sufficient and cherished their green spaces more than they ever had.
Berlin has added more than 400 charging stations throughout the city in response to the increase in electric vehicles and has urged residents to consider switching vehicle types. Furthermore, in an effort to save the environment, locals are choosing to share vehicles instead of purchasing personal ones.
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a vibrant city populated by environmentalists and individuals who value nature and the environment. It is not just known for its stunning views and excellent coffee shops. Due to the 92,000 acres of green space and 74 miles of hiking and running paths, it has developed into one of the greenest locations to live in the entire globe.
25% of city workers commute by bike, carpool, or public transportation, which has significant environmental advantages. As a result, there are now fewer dangerous automobiles on the road. Additionally, the projected 250 miles of bike trails demonstrate how simple and secure commuting is throughout the city. Apparently, cycling is the primary mode of transportation for 8% of the city’s residents.
Portland generates 2,434,840 tonnes of garbage in the city and recovers 1,235,924 tonnes of it, which are astounding numbers for a large city. Along with the aforementioned, the city has prohibited plastic bags and uses 33 percent renewable energy, compared to the national average of 13 percent.
San Francisco, California
Living in one of the most beautiful places on earth makes it difficult to ignore nature. San Francisco is one of the greenest cities in the country, surrounded by miles of California’s natural parks and forests, turquoise waterways, and a bright blue sky. Half of its residents commute to work by either public transportation, bicycles, or walking. San Francisco is a strong leader in the environmental movement for the rest of USA as one of the most forward-thinking, tolerant, and progressive municipalities on the West Coast.
Given that San Francisco has a population of over 860,000, it may come as a surprise that it is the sixth most environmentally friendly city in the world. However, cutting-edge solutions have helped the inhabitants of this famous setting live more sustainably, upholding its image as a picture-perfect setting.
There are numerous areas of concentration for local authorities to make sure this Californian city stays in the top ten. For instance, San Francisco, which has extensive expertise in waste management, now diverts 80% of its garbage away from landfills and wants to boost this percentage to 100% in the future.
Additionally, the government is pressing for bans on specific products that are harming the environment. It has even pushed legislation to outlaw plastic water bottles and bags, among other things.
Cape Town, South Africa
By making significant environmental advancements, such as using energy from South Africa’s first commercial wind farm, altering the city to include bike lanes, and supporting farmers markets, Cape Town is setting the standard for the entire continent of Africa.
Cape Town started employing wind farms for energy back in 2008 since they are constantly looking for new and inventive solutions to make their city more sustainable. As a result, the city has now established a goal of obtaining 10% of its energy from renewable sources, which is becoming increasingly feasible with the development of technology.
The city is also attempting to promote an idealized outdoor lifestyle. The city has invested in safe bicycle routes to promote this, and its My CiTi fast service offers free bike transportation on buses to enable people get around without a car. Along with this, many people have begun to employ solar panels and cultivate their own veggies.
Helsinki, Finland
Scandinavia is unsurprisingly the world’s cleanest and happiest region. Helsinki is included on this list because, like Copenhagen and Amsterdam, it encourages commuters to use public transportation and bicycles, which lowers air pollution.
Helsinki is the ideal destination if you wish to visit a location that places a high value on the ecology and the sustainability of the world. The capital is situated on a peninsula on the Gulf of Finland, with a mixture of metropolitan areas and serene reservoirs.
Helsinki’s economy depends heavily on tourism, which has increased the availability of eco-friendly lodging. In fact, the majority of the city’s hotel rooms—roughly 75 percent—have received certification for being environmentally friendly, and even those that haven’t fully embraced the cause have some kind of environmental plan in place that addresses everything from food and water use to waste disposal and energy consumption.
Viikki is a green neighborhood within the city on top of all of this. The 23-hectare residential neighborhood has a strong emphasis on sustainability, and the district has implemented solar and wind energy systems as an experimental project. In fact, it’s here that Finland’s first apartment complex to use solar power was built.
Vancouver, Canada
Vancouver is one of the most ecologically conscious cities in the world because of its close proximity to the mountains and other natural features. Vancouver, which is regarded as Greenpeace’s home base, receives high marks for C02 emissions and air quality.
Vancouver is well situated between the beach, the forest, and the mountains. What more could you want when envisioning the perfect eco-friendly city? Vancouver, which ranks ninth on a ranking of the greenest cities, has acknowledged that its environmental imprint is currently three times greater than what the Earth can support.
The intriguing city started the Greenest City program, which has attainable objectives that can be met soon. Vancouver has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions of any major North American city, demonstrating the efforts made by the local government to mitigate any potential environmental harm the city might do.
There is a ton of evidence that Vancouver is undertaking numerous adjustments to make its citizens’ city more sustainable. For instance, since 2013, locals have discovered a 23% growth in green occupations and a 26% increase in positions in the food industry. Additionally, 23% of all CleanTech businesses in Canada are situated in the nation’s capital, whether as a result of digital agreements or the implementation of a cycle-to-work program.
Reykjavik, Iceland
Iceland frequently evokes images of utopia, beauty, and purity straight out of a fairytale. But it’s also among the world’s cleanest cities. In addition to using renewable geothermal and hydropower sources for all of its heat and electricity (like the rest of the nation), Reykjavik boasts hydrogen buses on its streets.
Iceland is the ideal location if you’re seeking for peace and quiet for a home or vacation. Apart from its breathtaking scenery and hot springs, the country has a lot to offer. But how did Reykjavik, the nation’s capital, get the ranking of tenth most environmentally friendly city?
The city has a population of only 126,100, which is one of the key elements that makes it possible for changes to be made quickly and adaptably so that it becomes a greener area. Reykjavik intends to end its output of greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 by encouraging not only walking and bicycling but also the usage of public transportation.
Reykjavik wants to keep introducing hydrogen buses, but just 4% of people utilize them, which is why public transportation is being promoted. The city intends to triple this by 2030 in order to guarantee this. Along with this, the city spent millions to build bike lanes and is enticing its 9,000 public employees to drive electric cars by providing free parking and lower taxes.
