The Burrow
Feb 21, 2024
With the world becoming more environmentally-friendly, sustainability is playing a key part in purchase decisions, with a report from PWC highlighting that eight out of 10 consumers would pay up to 5% more for a sustainably produced product.1
In fact, Deloitte goes even further, highlighting that durability and repairability are the two key factors in purchase decision making, with sustainable packaging the practice consumers appreciate the most.2
Some countries are more progressive than others when addressing climate change issues, however, and have put plans in place to reduce their carbon footprint. Likewise, some cities within these countries are more committed than others.
As experts in helping Australians reduce their carbon footprint and household bills through smarter energy usage, we decided to look at the cities that are the most eco-conscious, by analysing a range of factors including sustainable development initiatives, recycling opportunities, renewable energy usage, and more.
It’s clear to see that Europe dominates the list, with all of our top 10 cities located in this continent, with Scandinavian cities ranking particularly well.
Sweden’s capital tops the list as having the most eco-conscious population, and for good reason. Not only does the city have the lowest CO2 emissions per capita, at 3.607 tonnes; but it has the second highest sustainable development score, at 85.98, and uses the second most amount of renewable energy, with 58.40% of all energy used across the nation renewable.
In second place is Zurich, home to the most vegan restaurants per 100,000 people, at an impressive 92.59. If you want to live and travel sustainably in Zurich, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the city also has the second highest number of thrift stores per 100,000, at 13.98, as well as the fourth highest percentage of sustainable hotels, at 65.85%.
Not only that, but this Swiss city also boasts the third lowest CO2 emissions per capita, at 4.048 tonnes.
We move to the UK for third place, where Glasgow offers more thrift stores per 100,000 people than anywhere else, at 20.91; with Barras Market one of the most popular places for sustainable shopping.
Additionally, Glasgow has the second highest number of vegan restaurants per 100,000 people, at 81.90; making it well worthy being named the third most eco-conscious city in the world.
The second Scandi city to feature on our list, Copenhagen comes in a very respectable fourth place, and for good reason. With 72.83% of hotels hitting sustainability criteria, it’s the second highest on our list; with a third of hotels cooled by water from the harbour.3
The Danish capital also has the third highest sustainable development score on our list, at an impressive 85.68; as well as using the fourth most amount of renewable energy, at 39.70%.
In fifth place is Helsinki, with the highest sustainable development score, at 86.76; as well as the third highest amount of renewable energy used, at 47.50%.
Helsinki’s aim is to be carbon neutral by 2030, with an emphasis on recycling and vintage shopping. City libraries even offer 3D printing options, so you don’t need to buy everything from new.4
Oslo officially has the sixth most eco-conscious population in the world, with the city using the highest percentage of renewable energy, at 61.30%. Not only that, but it has an impressive sustainable development score, at 82; as well as 35.30% of all recyclable materials being recycled.
Oslo has high hopes of being the world’s first emissions-free major city by 2030, and has one of the highest uptakes of EVs in the world.5
Linz is also doing its bit for sustainability, with the joint fifth highest amount of renewable energy used, at 35.80%, as well as having 56.76% of hotels sustainable, despite having a relatively small population of just over 200,000.
The second Austrian city to make the cut, Graz also boasts the joint fifth most renewable energy levels, as well as the third highest number of thrift stores per 100,000 people, at 11.06.
Munich comes in ninth for eco-conscious cities, with the highest percentage of sustainable hotels than anywhere else in the world, at an impressive 76.17%. Not only that, but its sustainable development score is the fourth highest, at 83.36; and the country as a whole has the second highest recycling score at 49.80%.
Rounding off our top 10 list is Germany’s capital, Berlin; with the city, like Munich, also enjoying the joint fourth highest sustainable development score, as well as a recycling score of 49.80%.
Some of the ways Berlin stays sustainable is by encouraging residents and visitors to walk or cycle; with low-emission public transport options available too, including solar-powered ferries.6
Looking at our specific initiatives, Australia comes top for recycling, with the nation successfully recycling 52.90% of their recyclable materials.
When it comes to vegan restaurants, Milan and Rome score well, at 80.15 and 71.67 per 100,000 respectively; with Amsterdam faring well for sustainable hotels, placing third highest on our list at 71.94%.
For CO2 emissions, Bucharest has the second least amount, at 3.740 tonnes, with Porto and Lisbon the joint fourth least, at 4.051; showing there are plenty of cities who are actively eco-conscious in several ways.
Looking outside of Europe, Canberra is the first city outside of the continent to feature on our list in 28th place, with Perth the second in 44th place. When it comes to North America, Toronto makes the first appearance in 51st place, followed by Austin, San Francisco, and New York City.
It can be all-too easy to think that one person isn’t going to make a difference, but that’s simply not true. Playing your part in being more environmentally-friendly can help your city become more sustainable, with these easy tips showing some ways you can do so.
Farming animals has one of the biggest negative impacts on climate change, so by cutting your meat intake, you’ll be helping to free up land to plant more trees. Even cutting your meat intake for a couple of days a week can help – and it means you’ll be eating healthier, too.
Coffee cups contribute to plastic waste, and if you can’t go without a cup of coffee on your morning commute, then investing in a reusable cup can be hugely beneficial to the environment – not to mention, many coffee shops offer discounts for people who use them.
The same goes for reusable bags when shopping – switch them out from the plastic bags you pay for, and you can use them for years on end.
Whether you’ve got a load of clothes you don’t wear anymore, furniture that no longer fits with your décor, or a load of CDs and DVDs, rather than binning them and contributing to landfill, why not donate or sell them instead? Most cities have donation drop off points if you can’t make it in-store; or if you want to make some cash, utilise the likes of Vinted, eBay, and Depop.
Meredith O’Brien, Head of Energy at Compare the Market AUS, states: “Whilst it’s imperative city governments have their own initiatives in place for tackling climate change, everyone plays an important role in sustainability, so if you ever wonder whether it matters if you use single-use plastic bags, or don’t recycle, then the answer is, it definitely does matter!
“A great way that you can be more sustainable is with your energy usage; and not only does being smarter about it help you become more environmentally-friendly, but it can save you money, too. Simple things like turning the lights off in rooms you’re not using, switching devices to eco mode when not in use, and turning sockets off at the wall all help to reduce your energy usage, which in turn, will reduce your bills.”
With the cost of living across the world still high, every little bit you can save helps. That’s why Australians should compare energy deals with us – we’ll show you a range of plans with a variety of companies, so you can pick the best provider for you, whether you want to compare electricity or gas plans. Just make sure you read the small print before you commit, so you fully understand what you’re signing up for.
This dataset ranks 60 cities, based on their sustainability performance. To do this, seven different factors were used. Once the data for the factors was collected, the factors were then normalised, to provide each factor with a score of between 0 and 1. If data was not available, a score of 0 was given. The normalised values were then summed, to give each location a total score out of seven. The locations were then ranked from highest to lowest, based on their total scores.
The factors used are as follows:
The factors were indexed as follows:
All data is correct as of 22/01/24. The ranking data shown is a compilation of multiple data sources and may not be representative of real life. All data is accurate with regards to the sources provided.
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