Leading Cities For Sustainability In 2020

From Green Right Now

The Ethisphere Institute, publisher of the quarterly Ethisphere magazine, has announced a list of what it calls the “Global Sustainability Centers of 2020.” Listing 10 large and 10 mid-sized cities (a population of 600,000 was the dividing line), the report honors municipalities who have built “strong and principled foundations” and long-term city planning. While environmental and sustainability considerations are listed first among the criteria, they weren’t the only factors considered; the think tank also evaluated quality-of-life issues like arts and education, transportation, and business planning.

Large Cities

• Toronto, Canada — Population: 2,480,000
• Singapore, Singapore — Population: 4,600,000
• Hyberabad, India — Population: 9,200,000
• Cape Town, South Africa — Population: 2,480,000
• Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates — Population: 1,400,000
• New York City, United States — Population: 8,200,000
• London, United Kingdom — Population: 7,400,000
• Melbourne, Australia — Population: 3,592,000
• Curitiba, Brazil — Population: 1,800,000
• Frankfurt, Germany — Population: 660,000

Mid-Sized Cities

• Copenhagen, Denmark — Population: 509,000
• Doha, Qatar — Population: 339,000
• Edinburgh, United Kingdom — Population: 430,000
• Helsinki, Finland –  Population: 564,000
• Oslo, Norway — Population: 560,000
• Portland, United States — Population: 568,000
• Reykjavik, Iceland — Population: 115,000
• Victoria, Canada — Population: 78,000
• Wellington, New Zealand — Population: 190,500
• Rotterdam, The Netherlands — Population: 596,000

For more on the report, go to Green Right Now.