According to the Reinders Corporation’s recently released Green City Index, a bustling Canadian metropolis leads the globe in sustainable living.
Vancouver, Canada, topped the organization’s list as the world’s most sustainable city. Forbes highlighted that the city, located in the province of British Columbia, ranked highest for its blend of environmentalism and “urban livability.” That top-tier balance includes the city’s ample green space and extremely high renewable energy usage (98%).
Notably, Vancouver implements aggressive measures tackling climate change, as outlined on its official site. In addition to working toward becoming completely “zero-waste” by 2040, the city regularly shares information about its action plan and hosts recycling events for its citizens. Also, Vancouver plans to have all new construction use only renewable energy by 2030, and it’s working to improve its resilience to rising sea levels.
What Else Is There to Know About The World’s Green Cities?
Country-wise, Canada had the most cities — three — named in the index’s top 10. Following Vancouver, Oslo (Norway), Stockholm (Sweden), Munich (Germany), and Zurich (Switzerland) rounded out the top five consecutively. The rest of the Green City Index’s top 10 cities are Montreal (Canada), San Francisco (the United States), Toronto (Canada), and London (the United Kingdom).
The cities were ranked based on each place’s overall score. Reinders Corporation compiled that score by adding its totals for six main factors. The key components reportedly included the location’s available green space, air pollution, bike-friendliness, and renewable energy use. The corporation also considers the quality of a city’s public transportation and whether that place charges tourist taxes.
The Reinders Corporation is a global climate solutions company that got its start in 1910. Gerrit Jan Reinders, the company’s CEO, commented on the organization’s recent index, according to Time Out. He reportedly said, “With climate change and urban growth, understanding which cities excel in sustainability has never been more critical.”
“This study highlights that eco-friendly living and vibrant, modern city life can thrive together,” he added.
