Arcadis today released its 2022 Sustainable Cities Index (SCI), which evaluates prosperity in 100 global cities. Oslo led the index, followed by many European cities. Tokyo, Seattle and San Francisco were also among the top ten.
The SCI ranks cities on three pillars of sustainability: planet, people, and profit. Comprising 26 indicators and 51 metrics, together the pillars signal overall prosperity and reflect the intertwined services and outcomes cities need to consider in pursuing sustainability goals. The research also highlights strengths and opportunities of select cities.
While the top ten had the highest combined scores, no city ranked in the top ten across all three pillars. This indicates that excellence in one category alone is not enough for long-term prosperity. As cities race to meet Paris Agreement commitments by 2030, placing equal value on each pillar will yield the greatest results.
“Every city is unique with its own blend of strengths and weaknesses,” said Arcadis Global Cities Director, John Batten. “There is no single solution that can propel a city to be sustainable. Having a chief sustainability officer and an electric vehicle charging network helps, but there are other interconnected challenges, such as housing affordability and income equality, that cities need to address to make lasting progress.”
The 2022 edition marks Arcadis’s 5th SCI and takes a holistic view of sustainability to highlight the evolving challenges facing cities. The cities included were chosen to provide an overview of the world’s urban environment, geographical coverage, economic variety, future growth expectations and sustainability challenges. Indicators were evaluated by Arcadis experts, and metrics were selected based on information available across all cities and source credibility.
The full report can be found here.
Top 10 Sustainable Cities:
1. Oslo
2. Stockholm
3. Tokyo
4. Copenhagen
5. Berlin
6. London
7. Seattle
8. Paris
9. San Francisco
10. Amsterdam
