In today’s society, eco-friendly businesses play a crucial role in promoting environmental sustainability and addressing global challenges such as climate change. In light of this, an ever-increasing number of businesses worldwide are pursuing more environmentally friendly practices, but which are the best cities for eco-conscious businesses?
To find this out, Solopress has analysed 50 cities across a variety of metrics, including each location’s sustainability ranking, pollution score, air quality and number of B corporations to uncover the best cities for eco-conscious businesses.
New research by Solopress unveils the cities worldwide that are most conducive for eco-conscious businesses to thrive, fostering the transition to a green economy. The study highlights the standards and practices contributing to each city’s success.
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Ranked: three US cities rank in the top 10 best cities in the world for eco-conscious businesses
In an era of growing environmental awareness, individuals and businesses across the globe are trying to make sustainability a higher priority in their day-to-day decision-making. But which cities across the world are the best for eco-conscious businesses?
Online printing company Solopress has analysed 50 cities across a variety of metrics, including each location’s sustainability ranking, pollution score, air quality and number of B corporations to uncover the best cities for eco-conscious businesses.
This campaign was created by taking a seedlist of 50 of the most sustainable cities worldwide. We then ranked these cities based on metrics such as; Sustainable development ranking (by country), The cost to start a business index (by country), Pollution score (by city), Air quality (by city), Distance of mapped cycling routes (by city) and Number of B corporations (by country). Each city was given a score on each of these metrics and ranked in accordance to this.
Vienna Takes the Lead as the Best City for Eco-Conscious Businesses
Vienna, Stockholm, and Copenhagen lead the pack in sustainability, with high scores in sustainable development, air quality, cycling routes, and B corporation count. Notably, Vienna boasts an impressive air quality index of 84.6 and extensive cycling infrastructure.
Edinburgh, the top-ranking UK city, intertwines urban development and environmental preservation, hosting a significant network of cycling routes and 1,765 B corporations.
|
Rank |
City |
Country |
Sustainable development ranking |
Pollution score |
Air quality |
Distance of mapped cycling routes (km) |
No. of B corporations |
|
1 |
Vienna |
Austria |
82.3 |
15.5 |
84.6 |
2,868,408 |
154 |
|
2 |
Stockholm |
Sweden |
85.2 |
18.4 |
84.4 |
337,343 |
180 |
|
3 |
Copenhagen |
Denmark |
85.6 |
21.5 |
81.8 |
348,862 |
228 |
|
4 |
Edinburgh |
United Kingdom |
80.6 |
28.1 |
74.6 |
205,019 |
1,765 |
|
5 |
Munich |
Germany |
82.2 |
25 |
74.8 |
1,438,715 |
490 |
|
6 |
Boston |
United States |
74.6 |
30.9 |
74.5 |
95,373 |
2,496 |
|
7 |
Seattle |
United States |
74.6 |
33.9 |
73.9 |
258,218 |
2,496 |
|
8 |
Amsterdam |
The Netherlands |
79.9 |
25.5 |
76.3 |
1,063,403 |
487 |
|
9 |
Oslo |
Norway |
82.4 |
21.6 |
77.3 |
613,920 |
113 |
|
10 |
Tampa |
United States |
74.6 |
34.3 |
75.5 |
8,969 |
2,496 |
In the United States, Boston excels, boasting an admirable sustainable development ranking and an impressive 2,496 B corporations, indicating a strong culture of sustainability within the city’s business community.
Marseille is Named the Least Favourable City for Eco-Conscious Businesses
Certain global cities present hurdles for eco-conscious businesses. Marseille, plagued by the highest pollution score and the worst air quality among analysed cities, shows stark contrast to Vienna’s environmental excellence.
Los Angeles and Barcelona also struggle, with LA displaying the second-worst pollution score and the U.S. having one of the lowest sustainable development rankings. Barcelona suffers from high pollution levels and a paucity of cycling routes, ranking 11th from the bottom among analysed cities.
UK’s Green Leaders: Oxford and Cambridge
Oxford and Cambridge, known for academic prowess, are also trailblazers in sustainable practices. This is evidenced by the fact that their businesses choose more sustainably sourced print from the Solopress Green range than any other city. Oxford leads with 13.2% of businesses investing in the Solopress Green range, followed by Cambridge with 11.6%.
Oxford and Cambridge both champion cycling as a primary transportation mode, and have established ambitious clean energy initiatives, with Oxford’s Energy Superhub Oxford project and Cambridge’s ‘Cambridge Sustainable City‘ program leading the way. By integrating these sustainability efforts, both cities offer a thriving environment for eco-conscious businesses and serve as models for sustainable development in the UK.
