Last year was the fourth edition of the Global Green Economy Index GGEI. The index uses quantitative and qualitative indicators to measure the green economic performance of 60 countries and 70 cities and how experts assess that performance. Four factors that are used for this performance review are leadership & climate change, efficiency sectors, markets & investment and environment & natural capital. GGEI is produced by Dual Citizen LLC, a private U.S.-based consultancy. According to Jeremy Tamanini, founder of Dual Citizen LLC, the thought behind publishing such a report was the future that the current environmental health might lead us to
“We first published the Global Green Economy Index in 2010 guided by a belief that the environment, climate change and green, low-carbon growth would rapidly become defining issues for national policy makers and global reputation of countries.”
In GGEI 2014, along with countries, cities were also ranked according to their green economy performance. In this ranking, Scandinavian cities performed the best, with 4 out of the top 10 cities belonging to the geography. The top 5 green cities of the world according to the report are:
Copenhagen
Ranking #1; Score - 100
Copenhagen is a metropolis of two million people. The city is often rated as world’s most livable cities because of its commitment towards environment. The city is designed as such that its infrastructure is friendlier towards two-wheels than four. And transportation isn’t the only thing city has adapted to make it greener, it is altering its architecture as well.
The city has also received accolades such as European Green Capital 2014 and Capital of Sustainable Meetings. No doubt, Copenhagen claims the top spot in the ranking with a perfect score. According to GGEI 2014, “For the second time, Copenhagen tops the green perception measure with decisive results on all four GGEI dimensions…A true green country brand, Denmark relentlessly communicates its commitment to green growth through a variety of strategies and tactics.”
Amsterdam
Ranking #2; Score - 98.3
Amsterdam is a small city and therefore getting around on bicycles is was easier than on cars. Thus people have been doing bike riding for decades. It is in fact the most bicycle-friendly city in the world with commendable infrastructure to support the activity. So much so, Amsterdam’s population is 1.5 million and number of bicycles is more than 1 million. Apart from bicycling the city is also devoted to aggressive plans to manage energy consumption and reduce pollution.
Stockholm
Ranking #3; Score - 96.4
Stockholm is the first city in EU to win the European Green Capital Award way back in 2010. The city started its coordinated environmental planning in 1970s. Green space is ample here and it is also one of the cleanest cities in the world. Stockholm aims to go fossil fuel free by 2050.
Vancouver
Ranking #4; Score - 96.0
No doubt Vancouver is densely populated and expensive; it is also one of the most energy efficient cities on earth. 93% of the electricity used here is generated from sustainable resources. Vancouver is dedicated to its ambitious plans to increase green spaces and reduces waste.
London
Ranking #5; Score - 90.7
London was once notorious for being environmentally unfriendly and was even known as “foggy.” But today the city has turned a green leaf. More green spaces are getting added in the city like adding pocket parks in small inner city areas and rooftop gardens. Convenient public transportation is another reason the city gets a position amongst the top 5.
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