Top 10 eco-friendly cities in the world

As a result of the increasing population in the world, and due to the great development that technology is witnessing today, the way we live our lives is also undergoing a major change, and accordingly, the sustainability of the planet is in greater danger than ever before. From the release of toxic emissions to the accumulation and spread of waste everywhere on the surface of the earth.

Thus, governments and local authorities around the world are starting to feel the pressure of their citizens, especially Generation Z, who are fighting fiercely to protect the environment and are encouraging countries to search for new ways of sustainability and dealing with this global issue.

In today’s article, we will put in your hands a list of the 10 best environmentally friendly cities in the world, and we will learn about the best practices that these cities have applied to get the title of “green cities”

10- Dubai – United Arab Emirates

A decade ago, Dubai was considered one of the cities with the most negative environmental impact in the world, but today it strives to become the least environmentally harmful city by 2050?

Will you be able to do that?

Well, it looks like it is on the right track. The sustainable city located less than 25 kilometers from the city center and covering an area of ​​about 46 hectares is an example of the eco-friendly cities of the future.

The sustainable city has a population of about 3000 people, who live in apartments and detached houses covered by solar panels to rationalize energy consumption. The “Fifty Charter” was also launched, which includes achieving self-sufficiency in water and energy for 10% of homes in the sustainable city.

Not only that, the city includes a 140-kilometer bike path, and work is underway to reach a 500-kilometer track.

9- Reykjavik – Iceland

No list of green cities would be complete without the Icelandic capital, its largest city, and cultural center, Reykjavik. About 120,000 people live in the city (about 40% of Iceland’s total population), all of whom aspire to reduce their city’s contributions to climate change and to be a world leader in renewable energy.

Reykjavik has set itself an impressive goal of being completely fossil fuel-free by 2050. In terms of greenhouse gas emissions, the city is already one of the world’s greenest and least emitting cities. This is due to the abundant underground resources in the city.

In fact, geothermal energy supplies all the buildings in the city with an electricity grid that produces about 750 megawatts of electricity via steam. In addition to a hot water distribution network, it also produces 60 million cubic meters of hot water annually.

8- Vancouver – Canada

When Vancouver, Canada’s mountainous western capital, announced it would be the greenest city by the end of the decade, exclamation points rose. Has the city achieved this goal by the year 2020?!

Well, here’s what’s been achieved in the city so far:

_  Today, most local movement in the city is done in transit, either on foot or by bicycle.

_  The city’s residents have made a real leap in waste management, as solid waste and incineration have been reduced by 28%.

_  The city continues on the right track, as it strives to make all of its construction projects carbon neutral by 2020.

_  Of all the cities in North America, Vancouver is the only city that produces the lowest percentage of greenhouse gases, indicating efforts by local authorities to reduce the city’s contributions to climate change.

Past achievements are not the only ones. There is plenty of other evidence that Vancouver is making real efforts to achieve the goal it has set itself. For example, the following was noted:

_  23% increase in green jobs.

_  A 26% increase in local food jobs since 2013.

_  23% of green companies are based in Vancouver.

7- Helsinki – Finland

Environmental thinking is very present in everyday life in Helsinki. The city focuses on encouraging eco-friendly lifestyles. The general atmosphere that encourages reducing consumption and working on sustainable building projects, all make Helsinki a model of sustainable development and an eco-friendly city.

Tourism is one of the most important pillars of the economy in Helsinki, which has led to the emergence of many environmentally friendly buildings. In fact, 75% of hotel rooms in the city are certified green, and even those that do not fully comply with environmental practices, implement some environmental strategy, whether in food, water, waste disposal, or energy consumption.

Moreover, the city includes a green residential area of ​​23 hectares (230 thousand square meters), where Viikki is an example of an eco-friendly residential area, as it is a pilot project, using both wind and solar energy systems, even the first building Solar energy is used to generate electricity in Finland, located in the Viikki region.

6- Malmo – Sweden

With its energy-efficient rooftop gardens and eco-friendly renovation plans, the coastal city of Malmö in southern Sweden is proud to be one of the world’s most eye-catching in terms of sustainability and green cities. The Western Harbor, which has transformed from an industrial district into a carbon-neutral green agricultural suburb, will give you a glimpse into the future of green cities.

Malmö aims to make all activities in the city climate-neutral and has even drawn up a plan to ensure the entire city is running on renewable energy by 2030.

Today, 30% of total electricity is produced using renewable sources, including photovoltaic installations across the city, and Sweden’s largest offshore wind farm located 10 kilometers from the coast. Significant investments have also been made to increase the share of renewable energy in the future. Evidence for this is the construction of one of the world’s largest biogas plants in Malmö.

5- San Francisco – California

San Francisco is one of America’s leading cities in sustainability. Its residents are proud of the many practices and policies that make the city environmentally friendly.

Here are four reasons why San Francisco is a green city:

sustainable food

Vegetarian dishes are a staple and distinctive element of the San Francisco kitchen, where many restaurants and vendors are working to transform world-famous dishes such as Mexican food, for example, into environmentally sound vegetarian dishes.

Reduce waste and waste

In 2007, San Francisco was the first city in the USA to ban the use of plastic bags, with some stores now offering reusable bags as a soil fertilizer. All restaurants, shops, and buildings have waste partition bins for recycling.

Environmentally clean transportation

If you visit San Francisco and wander through its streets, you will notice many buses and public transportation bearing slogans such as “Hybrid-electric” or “Zero emissions”, indicating that these vehicles are hybrids that run on electricity and that they do not contribute to the emission of any harmful gases to the environment.

rationing water use

The city has adopted very successful strategies in conserving water resources and rationalizing its consumption. Residents use only 49 gallons of water per day (185 liters) on average compared to 100 gallons (approximately 378 liters) in the rest of America’s cities.

4- Portland, Oregon

The City of Portland has developed nearly 4,000 square meters of green space linked to a system of trails and parks ideal for walking or cycling. In fact, Portland has the highest rate of cycling to work and has been at the forefront of developing a comprehensive plan for pedestrians and cyclists.

And when it comes to waste management, the city produces 2,434,480 tons of waste and recycles about 1,235,924 tons of it, which is a really staggering number for a city as big as Portland.

In addition, the city uses renewable energy sources for 33% of all total energy (while the rate in the rest of the US is only 13%).

Finally, as with San Francisco, the city of Portland has banned the use of plastic bags.

3- Berlin – Germany

The German capital, Berlin, is famous for being the city of green technologies and trends. It is still working in pursuit of more achievements in this field.

The city’s residents have always embraced eco-friendly ideas and sustainable technologies. They consider green spaces, gardens, and parks an integral part of their normal life. Also, many of them prefer to use bicycles rather than cars. In fact, the percentage of cycling increased by an average of 9% in 2018 only.

Not only that, instead of surrounding themselves with industrial products, Berliners learn how to make furniture or clothes by hand through craft workshops.

This shared desire to adopt a sustainable and healthy life system and the search for environmentally friendly alternatives for various lifestyles are gradually transforming Berlin, a former industrial city, into an amazingly green city that deserves to be on our list of the top 10 eco-cities.

2- Amsterdam – Netherlands

This city is often associated with cycling, in fact, bicycles are the city’s official mode of transportation!

And if you prefer to use cars, the city seeks to encourage its residents, in this case, to use electric cars, to reduce emissions from fuel combustion. More than 300 car charging stations have been established in the city.

However, that is not all, the homes in Amsterdam also strive to be environmentally friendly as well. Many residents have already started installing solar panels on their roofs, growing their own food, or even buying food from local producers, which contributes to returning profits to the country and supporting the local economy

1- Copenhagen – Denmark

Are you looking for a place where you can swim in a busy harbor in the heart of the city, or surf on the roof of an alternative power plant, or perhaps drive a solar-powered boat!

How about staying in an eco-friendly hotel, and eating completely organic and healthy meals at any restaurant or cafe in any corner of the city?

If you dream of tourism or living in a city like this, Copenhagen is your best choice…it is at the top of the list of the best environmentally friendly cities in the world.

Denmark’s capital has made sustainability a top priority, and so have its residents, many initiatives have come into play this year, and the city is still striving to be carbon neutral by 2025.

Among the most important aspects and practices that make Copenhagen truly the most environmentally friendly city, we mention the following:

_  The presence of the important landmark Copenhill, which converts waste into energy distributed to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.

_  Work is currently underway to convert all fuel-powered buses to electric buses. More lanes have been designated for bicycles.

_  The city has more than its natural share of green spaces, and work is currently underway to establish a huge nature reserve in the northern industrial port area.

_  More than two-thirds of the hotels in the city are certified to be environmentally friendly.

_  Recycling is taken very seriously in this city, and you can get some money back when you put a plastic or paper cup in a vending machine!

So this was a list of the best eco-friendly cities around the world, which you can choose as your future destination for study or even tourism.

If you are an environmental advocate and enjoy beautiful nature, fresh air, and tranquility, these cities will undoubtedly make your experience of traveling abroad an exciting and unforgettable adventure. But remember that traveling by plane contributes greatly to the increase in the emission of harmful gases into the atmosphere. However, some airlines offer you the opportunity to compensate for the damage caused, by paying an additional amount to be invested in environmentally friendly projects such as stopping logging or plans to deploy renewable energy.

Or you can also choose another less harmful means of transportation… Indeed, it will probably take longer to reach your destination, but you will have the opportunity to enjoy multiple cities, and contribute to saving the planet! Doesn’t that sound cool?!