In Short : The 20 cities named the most sustainable in the world likely demonstrate a combination of effective policies, innovation, and citizen engagement. Sustainability rankings often consider factors such as renewable energy usage, green spaces, waste management, public transportation, and air quality. These cities likely excel in areas like implementing renewable energy sources, promoting green infrastructure, reducing carbon emissions, investing in public transport, and actively involving the community in sustainability initiatives. Each city’s unique approach contributes to its recognition as a sustainable urban center.
In Detail : From personal safety to public transportation and renewable energy sources, these destinations prioritize sustainability without sacrificing fun.
Visiting destinations that prioritize sustainability is a matter of growing importance for travelers around the world. But what’s the best way to vet a city’s eco credentials before you book a trip?
Global Destination Sustainability Movement ranks the top eco-friendly cities in the world each year, with the goal of highlighting cities that are becoming more regenerative and resilient places for travelers to visit.
Destinations are evaluated in four key areas: environmental performance, which includes a city’s policies for things like public transportation, carbon emissions, and renewable energy sources; social performance, covering factors like personal safety and health and wellness; destination management; and the sustainability of suppliers throughout the travel industry, like the city’s airports, hotels, and restaurants.
Each destination’s “efforts, involving climate action plans, education, community engagement, diversity initiatives, and measurement create a ripple effect, inspiring further positive actions in their local communities and around the world,” GDSM’s report says.
In 2023, the group expanded its list to include 100 cities across the globe. Among the top 20 destinations, Denmark is the country that secured the most on the list, with five of its cities ranking in the top 20. Sweden came next with three cities.
Here are the top 20 destinations emphasizing regenerative travel and sustainable living right now.
20. Skelleftea, Sweden
Sitting on Sweden’s eastern coast, Skelleftea scored a spot in the top 20 in part because of its access to 100% renewable energy, green building techniques, and eco-conscious hotels, 86% of which are certified sustainable. For these efforts, the town nabbed an overall score of 80.54 out of 100.
19. Kerry, Ireland
With a score of 80.61, this southwestern region of the Emerald Isle is Ireland’s leading sustainable destination. The area, known for its natural beauty, has almost 73,000 acres of green space per 100,000 people, offering plenty of outdoor wonders for both locals and tourists alike to explore.
18. Nyborg, Denmark
This quaint coastal town of just 17,900 people nabbed the 18th spot on the list thanks to the fact that 85% of its electricity is powered by renewable sources, 74% of its waste is recycled, and 87% of its hotels are certified sustainable.
17. Singapore
Clocking in at number 17 with a score of 81.83 is Singapore, which has ambitious plans to “greenify” its city-state by 2030. The eco-blueprint includes adding more than 300 acres of new parks, tripling the amount of cycling trails, and mandating that all new car registrations be clean-energy vehicles.
16. Middelfart, Denmark
Denmark’s second city to make the top 20, Middlefart was recognized for its efforts at social progress and renewable energy, to protect its scenic coastline. Plus, 100% of its event venues are certified sustainable.
15. Tirol, Austria
Tirol is an idyllic Austrian state located in the heart of the Alps. The breathtaking region already runs 45% of its electricity on renewables and has plans to be carbon neutral by 2050 by abandoning fossil fuels to help maintain its signature mountain-fresh air and pristine drinking water.
14. Goyang, South Korea
A city of 1 million just outside of Seoul, Goyang is making concerted efforts to increase its greenspace. There are 68 sweeping parks in the destination, with plenty of plant life that helps keep air pollution to a minimum. The city’s smart garbage bins ensure that a whopping 82% of its waste is recycled.
13. Lyon, France
Lyon’s sustainability efforts in its public transportation are one of the main factors that helped to garner the city, which sits at the intersection of the Rhône and Saône rivers, an overall score of 82.85. The destination has self-service electric vehicle stations, electric buses, and tramways, and 75% of its bus and metro trips are electric.
12. Zurich, Switzerland
Switzerland’s largest city is also its greenest. Zurich ranks as the 12th most sustainable destination in part because it has a goal to reduce its energy consumption to 2000 watts per person and its CO2 emissions to one ton per person a year by 2050. Plus, 90% of its power grid is run on renewable energy like environmental heat, solar power, solar collectors, and district heat.
11. Belfast, Northern Ireland
With a total score of 86.4, the capital city of Northern Ireland’s environmental bona fides include reducing emissions by 80% compared to 2005 levels and forming an innovative climate commission to translate eco-policies from lofty ideas into concrete actions. Its Resilience Strategy (released in 2020) aims to make Belfast a zero-emission city within a generation.
10. Stockholm, Sweden
Breaching the top 10 is Stockholm, whose City Council has a goal to make the Swedish capital completely fossil fuel free by 2040. Swedevia, the company that runs the city’s airports, was the first airport manager in the world to make all of its wholly owned operations totally fossil-free.
9. Bordeaux, France
The “Port of the Moon” city earned a score of 87.1 for its target to be carbon neutral, 100% converted to renewable energy, and halving air pollution by 2050. Plus, 75% of Bordeaux’s famous vineyards are already eco-certified, meaning tourists can enjoy all of this destination’s epicurean delights without worrying about their carbon footprint.
8. Glasgow, Scotland
Glasgow is a Gaelic name that means “dear green place.” The Scottish capital is protecting this heritage by aiming to be the UK’s first carbon-neutral city by 2030. Measures such as installing smart LED streetlights and adding more electric vehicle charging stations, helped it earn the eighth spot with a score of 87.47.
7. Aalborg, Denmark
Named the happiest city in the EU back in 2016, Aalborg can now add seventh most sustainable city in the world to its resume. The charming town, filled with cobblestone streets and home to Aalborghus, scored an 87.7 in the rankings, thanks to its overall environmental strategy, which includes an annual sustainability festival where locals can showcase their own eco projects.
6. Aarhus, Denmark
Another city in Denmark swept up the number six spot: Aarhus, which has a compact city center where travelers can walk from their hotel to most of the main attractions, including restaurants, shops, and museums. For activities farther afield, there’s ample public transportation. The destination runs on 77% renewable energy and has a goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.
5. Bergen, Norway
Edging into the top five is Bergen, with a total score of 90.15, thanks in large part to its widely available green transportation options. It has one of the largest per capita rates of electric vehicles in the world, including taxis, rental cars, and tour buses. Electric ferries and fjord tour ships are docked at the city’s port, which boasts the largest percentage of electric vessels in the world. Tourists can also use the Bergen railway for a scenic yet sustainable sightseeing journey through the region’s nearby fjords.
4. Helsinki, Finland
Rising in the rankings from 12th place last year, Helsinki has set the high bar of lowering its emission by 60% compared to 1990 levels by 2030 and being carbon neutral by 2035. These efforts earned it an overall score of 90.49.
3. Copenhagen, Denmark
Though a bustling city, Copenhagen has such clean water in its harbors, locals swim in them every summer. That’s a powerful visual for its sustainability measures, which are some of the most aggressive in the world: 74% of Copenhagen’s electricity is sourced sustainably and just four percent of solid waste ends up in the city’s landfills. Copenhagen is aiming to be the first carbon neutral capital city in the world in just two short years.
2. Oslo, Norway
Norway’s capital jumped all the way from 10th place last year to take the second spot on the 2023 list. Though it’s a thriving city of more than 600,000, Oslo is set among pristine nature like forests and fjords that it fiercely protects with green policies. Public buses are increasingly powered by electricity and bio-fuels, and there are more than 5,000 electric vehicle charging stations around the city. A whopping 94% of the city’s hotels are eco-certified, while the restaurant scene is focused on embracing the eco-eating movement.
1. Gothenburg, Sweden
Taking the title for most sustainable destination in the world for the seventh time is Gothenburg, Sweden. The city, which is spread across an archipelago, is a heavy hitter in environmental policy. One of its more ambitious projects, the Gothenburg Green City Zone, tests out new sustainable transportation and infrastructure with the aim to make the zone completely free of emissions by 2030. The city’s airport has the highest Airport Carbon Accreditation certificate and its shuttle runs on rapeseed oil. Its southern islands are completely car-free and accessible only by public transportation. With a score of 94.64, it’s not hard to see why this beautiful Scandinavian city is hailed as one of the greenest on Earth.