Climate and energy transition

Copenhagen is the "greenest" major city in Europe, followed by Stockholm, Oslo, Vienna, and Amsterdam. This is the conclusion reached by a study of the environmental sustainability of 30 major cities in 30 European countries.

 

The study conducted by Siemens evaluates the 30 cities in eight categories: CO2 emissions; energy, buildings, transportation, water, air quality, waste and land use, and environmental governance.

 

It shows for instance that the best-performing city to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions is Oslo. Stockholm is the index's leader in environmentally friendly transport, followed by Amsterdam, Copenhagen and Vienna. And Vilnius performs exceptionally well on air quality, for which it is ranked in first place.

 

This study also seeks to provide context, with in-depth city portraits that not only explain the challenges, strengths and weaknesses of each city, but also highlight emerging best practice and innovative ideas that others might wish to emulate.

 

The eight categories are based on 30 individual indicators - 16 of which are quantitative (e.g. consumption of water and energy per capita, recycling rate, and use of public transportation) and 14 qualitative (e.g. CO2 reduction targets, efficiency standards for buildings, and support for environmental protection measures).

 

The website dedicated to the study

The overall ranking of cities