Amsterdam is the most sustainable city in the world, while Madrid ranks 50th and Barcelona 54th in the global ranking, according to the Sustainable Cities Index 2024 prepared by Arcadis.
The report reveals some disparities between the leading sustainable cities, such as Amsterdam in first place, Rotterdam in second, Copenhagen in third, Frankfurt in fourth and Munich in fifth, and the laggards, in particular the US powerhouses New York, Boston and Washington DC, in 48th, 56th and 65th positions, respectively.
This is the sixth edition of the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index (SCI), which ranks 100 global cities on three pillars of sustainability: planet, people and profit, and looks at 67 different parameters to highlight the evolving understanding of urban sustainability.
In addition, this year it has added the 'Progress' pillar, which measures change over time to show the impact of sustainability interventions over the past decade.
Key data includes air pollution, waste management and investment in low-carbon infrastructures, as well as factors such as economic performance, social equity and resilience to natural disasters.
Europe dominates the top positions
European cities dominate the top positions in the SCI. In particular, the four German cities included in the index (Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Berlin) rank in the top 10, driven by their achievements in water sanitation and waste management, as well as their low greenhouse gas emissions.
Good performance in the 'Planet' pillar is associated with overall success, as shown by the fact that eight of the top ten cities in the 'Planet' pillar also ranked among the top 10.
This section is made up of indicators such as sustainable energy systems and low-emission transport, suggesting that these are "powerful tools for urban sustainability, which should be key focus areas for cities seeking significant change".
Madrid stands out for its renewable energy production
Madrid, ranked 34th in the 'Planet' pillar, comes out on top in this section thanks to its relatively high share of renewable energy production. This position is supported by the capital's low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, which puts the city in "a strong position to develop and implement technologies and processes that accelerate the transition to climate neutrality".
Barcelona, in 31st position, is in the top third of cities in this area and overtakes Madrid to become the best-ranked city in Spain. According to Arcadis, the city has "an excellent share of sustainable transport methods".
North America dominates the profit field
This year's index also highlights the finding that high performance in the Profit metric does not necessarily come at the expense of environmental sustainability. The report stresses that a thriving economy must support investment in infrastructure, alternative energy sources, green initiatives and social programmes.
Amsterdam, the most sustainable city in 2024, ranks first in the Profit pillar, where it excels in income and living standards, employment and transport infrastructure.
However, despite Amsterdam's success, North American cities dominate the Profit pillar. San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, New York and Seattle all rank in the top 10 in terms of benefits through ease of doing business, GDP per capita and employment rates.
However, while these cities boast great business success, their low overall rankings show that wage and living standards are not keeping pace with economic growth, the report argues.
To move up the rankings, inclusive development strategies will be key and the report makes clear that North American and European cities must inspire each other to make further sustainable progress across all pillars.
European advance in the Progress field
In terms of Progress, over the last decade, many European cities have continued to advance by leaps and bounds, despite their highly sustainable starting points, to consolidate their position at the top of the index.
Lisbon, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Berlin have sustained their momentum to rank in the top third of the progress pillar and in the top third of the index overall.
This is due, in the case of Lisbon in particular, to a marked increase in women's education and a rise in the number of doctors per 1,000 inhabitants.
Meanwhile, although they appear low in the overall rankings, the dominance of Asian cities such as Jakarta, Wuhan and Shanghai at the top of the 'Progress' pillar demonstrates that, in cities with little previous infrastructure or sustainable practices, first steps can have a huge impact in generating momentum for further progress.
Much remains to be done to achieve the SDGs
Arcadis Global Cities Director John Batten said that "cities play a critical role in advancing the sustainable development agenda". However, he said, his assessment of progress shows that "much remains to be done to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030".
"With only 2,000 days to go, the challenge is to continue to push the boundaries of innovation. Whether it is scaling up renewable energy initiatives, integrating climate considerations into infrastructure planning, improving mobility through smart traffic management or backing the retrofitting of existing buildings through planning and investment, there is always room for improvement," he said.
In his view, as the 2030 deadline approaches, "cities must build on their successes, identify areas of progress and foster collaboration to address challenges with greater urgency and determination".
