At Bionic, experts have been studying and comparing the speed at which different cities in the world are adapting to the environment. This particular study looks at how green cities are and it has concluded that Stockholm is the second fastest moving city in the world when it comes to making the city greener.
Coming in first on the list is Auckland in New Zealand which has lowered its carbon footprint by approximately 5.9 metric tonnes in recent years. The air quality in Auckland is also excellent, with a quality score of 9 (less than 50 is good).
So how do Auckland and Stockholm compare? Well, an impressive 37.6% of Auckland is covered in trees but Stockholm scores higher here, with a glorious 68.7% of the city covered in lovely, green trees. However, the air quality in Stockholm scores 132, which is far worse than the air quality in Auckland.
Stockholmers consume far more dairy than Aucklanders, drinking 572,942 tonnes of milk a year, whereas in Auckland people only drink 226,784. However, Auckland produces 177,314 tonnes of plastic waste a year compared to the 26,996 produced in Stockholm.
An incredible 42.24% of Stockholm’s energy is renewable but Auckland isn’t far behind that figure, sourcing 35.40% of its energy from renewable sources. So, these two cities, which are very similar in many ways, are leading the world in its aim to become green. Here are the top ten cities on the list:
1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Stockholm, Sweden
3. Lyon, France
4. Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Dublin, Ireland
6. Cologne, Germany
7. Brussels, Belgium
8. Warsaw, Poland
9. Milan, Italy
10. Montreal, Canada
It’s great to see so many cities from surrounding countries on the list but we are, of course, most proud of Stockholm. Let’s hope that in the coming years the air quality in Stockholm improves and that cities around the world can take inspiration from this beautiful city.