10 Best Eco-friendly Cities to Live In
The increase in population and the advancement in technology are not only changing the way we live our lives but also endangering the sustainability of our planet than ever before – from the release of extra-dentary levels of waste to harmful emissions into the environment.
Nobody likes pollution and harmful emissions, that’s why we have here for you a list of the best eco-friendly cities to live in. Although no city is perfect, and some cities are still striving to reach ultimate sustainability. The cities listed here offer good quality of life for their people as well as the protection and conservation of their environment and the entire earth.
These cities are not only environmentally friendly but living in them will inspire you to become eco-friendly and reduce your carbon footprint. Here are the best eco-friendly cities to live in:
1. Copenhagen, Denmark
Copenhagen tops our list of the best eco-friendly cities in the world to live in because of its continuous commitment to developing and sustaining green ways of living. For instance, biking is very popular in Copenhagen as a means of reducing harmful emissions from car engines.
The city has plans to have about half of its people cycling to school or work this year – what an ambitious goal. Copenhagen is set to become the first CO2-neutral city by 2025.
2. Amsterdam, Netherlands
Amsterdam is not only famous for its coffee shops but also for its progressive and green way of life. Amsterdam is popularly referred to as the city where there are more bikes than people, holding the title of the world’s most bike-friendly capital city – you would see bikes piled over one another in the streets.
Biking doesn’t only ensure a healthier population in Amsterdam, but also significantly reduces carbon emissions and pollution. To make the city greener, the authorities are trying to cut down on the number of harmful emissions being emitted by car engines by introducing electric vehicles (EVs).
3. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm is one of the cleanest cities you’ll ever visit. The city is famous for its cleanliness. Stockholm has 14 islands and over 50 bridges, which all contribute to helping its citizens lead a more sustainable lifestyle.
You’ll rarely see litters lining or piling up along the sidewalk as the streets are always clean and well-maintained, even the atmosphere and air are bright, clear, and crisp.
In a bid to encourage a greener society, Stockholm has plans to drop the use of fossil fuels by 2040. As a result, the use of bio-fuel, generated from sewage waste, is becoming more popular in the city. Presently, Stockholm can recover and reuse wasted heat from its 30,000 capacity stadium to efficiently warm over 1,000 flats.
Stockholm is also eco-friendly because of its amazing public transportation system and lack of heavy industry that may cause pollution.
4. Berlin, Germany
Though Berlin is well-known as a wild, crazy town, it is also popular for keeping things green. Berlin is so passionate about recycling, resourcing, and creating a sustainable environment. As a result, the city has green spaces and parks beautifully set into the urban landscape.
5. Portland, Oregon
Just like Amsterdam, Portland isn’t just famous for great coffee shops or its beautiful views. Portland is also a bustling green town for environmentally friendly hippies, environmentalists, and those who love mother nature.
Portland is one of the eco-friendliest cities to live in the world. It has about 92,000 acres of green space and about 74 miles of running and hiking trails. The city also recovers 1,235,924tons of the 2,434,840tons of waste it generates – what an astonishing performance.
Currently, Portland uses about 33 percent of renewable energy and has also banned the use of plastic bags like San Francisco.
Recommended: 10 Ways to Be More Environmentally Friendly
6. San Francisco, California
San Francisco is one of the most beautiful places on earth. The city is surrounded by blue waters, a clear blue sky, and lots of California’s natural parks and forests.
San Francisco is one of the eco-friendly cities in the US. About a half of San Francisco’s population either uses bikes, walks, or uses public transportation to get to work – all these contribute to its green nature.
With its immense knowledge in waste management, San Francisco is leading the environmental movement for the rest of America. Presently, San Fran currently diverts over 80 percent of its waste away from landfill sites and is making more plans to increase this number to 100 percent.
7. Cape Town, South Africa
As San Francisco takes the lead in the environmental movement for the rest of America, Cape Town is leading the entire Africa by making major environmental movements.
For instance, Cape Town is the first city to use energy from South Africa’s first commercial wind farm, it supports farmers’ markets, and provides for bike routes.
8. Helsinki, Finland
Helsinki is also one of the best eco-friendly cities to live in because like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Helsinki uses public transportation and makes it easy for its commuters to cycle through the city, which reduces air pollution and harmful emissions.
9. Vancouver, Canada
Tourists visit Vancouver because of its proximity to the mountains and nature, so you shouldn’t be surprised to see Vancouver listed as one of the eco-friendly cities in the world.
The city scores well in the quality of air and CO2 emissions. Vancouver is considered the hometown of Greenpeace.
10. Reykjavik, Iceland
Although Iceland sounds like something out of a fairytale – pure, beautiful, and utopic, it is also one of the best eco-friendly places in the world. For instance, the city of Reykjavik has hydrogen buses in its streets.
Also, Reykjavik generates all of its electricity and heat from hydropower sources and renewable geothermal. By 2040, the city has plans to have eliminated all greenhouse gas emissions by promoting walking, cycling, and only the use of public transport.
Conclusions
These best eco-friendly cities listed above didn’t just become environmentally friendly. They consciously worked to achieve it. They are perfect examples of what we can achieve if we put our minds into making our communities green.
Making our communities and city environmentally-friendly will not only benefit us but also the coming generations. Hence, we need to do our part in making our city the best eco-friendly city – or at least one of the best eco-friendly cities – to live in.
