The 20 Best Cities for Sustainable Travel
| 06/22/20
Where are the best cities for a sustainable getaway?
From Melbourne to Medellín, cities around the world are becoming increasingly eco-conscious in their public policy and travelers are responding. Whether reaching their destination by train, or opting for cities outside of the typical tourist circuit, more travelers than ever are choosing to spend their vacations in an environmentally friendly way. Sustainability is changing the way people travel.
As a carbon neutral travel company, that offsets the carbon emissions of our travelers and our team, we’re passionate about sustainable travel. To help travelers identify the best cities for an eco-friendly getaway, we’ve analyzed hundreds of cities around the globe to highlight the top 50 most eco-friendly destinations. We looked at accessibility by train, public transportation, car ownership, green space, the ratio of tourists to locals, air quality, green energy, and recycling levels in order to produce a final shortlist. We’re excited to reveal the top 20 below! (Pictured: Shenzhen, China)
Berlin, Germany
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 6.67
Public Transport: 7.36
Car Free: 6.04
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 8.38
Tourist Capacity: 1.69
Clean Air: 8.66
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 4.48
Recycling: 10.00
TOTAL: 53.28
Vienna, Austria
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 10.00
Public Transport: 5.61
Car Free: 5.33
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 7.57
Tourist Capacity: 0.71
Clean Air: 7.44
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 7.36
Recycling: 8.91
TOTAL: 52.93
Munich, Germany
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 8.33
Public Transport: 3.75
Car Free: 5.33
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 10.00
Tourist Capacity: 0.89
Clean Air: 10.00
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 4.48
Recycling: 10.00
TOTAL: 50.84
London, United Kingdom
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 2.50
Public Transport: 10.00
Car Free: 6.49
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 6.76
Tourist Capacity: 1.22
Clean Air: 5.49
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 3.13
Recycling: 6.59
TOTAL: 42.15
Prague, Czechia
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 9.17
Public Transport: 4.47
Car Free: 4.01
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 9.59
Tourist Capacity: 0.27
Clean Air: 7.14
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 3.24
Recycling: 3.59
TOTAL: 41.48
Rotterdam, Netherlands
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 2.50
Public Transport: 3.78
Car Free: 6.43
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 4.07
Tourist Capacity: 6.26
Clean Air: 9.63
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 0.98
Recycling: 7.66
TOTAL: 41.31
Shenzhen, China
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.83
Public Transport: 8.64
Car Free: 9.82
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 7.48
Tourist Capacity: 2.91
Clean Air: 3.91
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 2.26
Recycling: 5.31
TOTAL: 41.25
8. Hamburg, Germany
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 4.17
Public Transport: 2.29
Car Free: 4.19
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 2.40
Tourist Capacity: 3.56
Clean Air: 9.27
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 4.48
Recycling: 10.00
TOTAL: 40.36
Zürich, Switzerland
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 5.83
Public Transport: 1.57
Car Free: 4.03
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 6.76
Tourist Capacity: 0.36
Clean Air: 7.80
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 5.88
Recycling: 7.81
TOTAL: 40.04
10. Budapest, Hungary
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 5.83
Public Transport: 4.24
Car Free: 6.21
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 8.92
Tourist Capacity: 1.19
Clean Air: 7.07
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 0.78
Recycling: 3.91
TOTAL: 38.15
11. Oslo, Norway
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.83
Public Transport: 4.66
Car Free: 4.50
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 3.17
Tourist Capacity: 0.24
Clean Air: 8.54
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 9.71
Recycling: 5.94
TOTAL: 37.59
12. Gothenburg, Sweden
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 1.67
Public Transport: 3.45
Car Free: 4.46
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 6.05
Tourist Capacity: 0.39
Clean Air: 8.17
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 5.60
Recycling: 7.66
TOTAL: 37.45
13. Brussels, Belgium
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 3.33
Public Transport: 3.85
Car Free: 7.46
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 6.05
Tourist Capacity: 0.74
Clean Air: 5.08
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 1.45
Recycling: 8.44
TOTAL: 37.30
14. Nairobi, Kenya
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.00
Public Transport: 0.00
Car Free: 9.75
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 4.79
Tourist Capacity: 8.69
Clean Air: 1.78
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 9.05
Recycling: 2.19
TOTAL: 36.25
15. Rio de Janiero, Brazil
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.00
Public Transport: 0.60
Car Free: 7.29
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 8.72
Tourist Capacity: 8.04
Clean Air: 3.24
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 7.99
Recycling: 0.00
TOTAL: 35.88
16. New York City
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.83
Public Transport: 9.16
Car Free: 6.51
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 3.53
Tourist Capacity: 1.66
Clean Air: 6.95
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 1.25
Recycling: 5.31
TOTAL: 35.20
17. Zagreb, Croatia
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 6.67
Public Transport: 1.17
Car Free: 5.47
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 3.17
Tourist Capacity: 1.66
Clean Air: 7.44
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 6.43
Recycling: 3.13
TOTAL: 35.14
18. Portland, Oregon
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.83
Public Transport: 2.32
Car Free: 7.97
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 6.05
Tourist Capacity: 2.17
Clean Air: 8.54
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 1.25
Recycling: 5.31
TOTAL: 34.44
18. Lisbon, Portugal
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.83
Public Transport: 1.99
Car Free: 4.74
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 7.48
Tourist Capacity: 0.24
Clean Air: 10.00
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 5.23
Recycling: 3.91
TOTAL: 34.42
20. Mexico City
SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORT
Train Accessibility: 0.00
Public Transport: 4.61
Car Free: 9.36
NATURAL ENVIRONMENT
Green Space: 4.61
Tourist Capacity: 10.00
Clean Air: 2.56
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Renewable Energy: 2.41
Recycling: 0.63
TOTAL: 34.18
