These are the most sustainable cities in the world

London has been named the second most sustainable major city in the world by a new report, beaten only by Frankfurt.

The Sustainable Cities Index assessed 50 urban areas across the world based on their economic (Profit), social (People) and environmental (Planet) characteristics.

In a rapidly urbanizing world, the way in which cities are planned, built, operated and redefined has a huge social, environmental and economic impact.

• Sustainable Cities Index

These are the top 10 most sustainable cities in the world:

1. Frankfurt

2. London

3. Copenhagen

4. Amsterdam

5. Rotterdam

6. Berlin

7. Seoul

8. Hong Kong

9. Madrid

10. Singapore

Notable others:

14. Manchester

18. Birmingham

The three sub-indices each city was measured on can be further broken down into the following indicators:

• Profit - business performance, transport infrastructure, ease of doing business, the city’s importance in global economic networks, property and living costs, GDP per capita and energy efficiency.

• People - transport infrastructure, health, education, income inequality, work-life balance, the dependency ratio and green spaces.

• Planet - energy consumption and renewable energy share, recycling rates, greenhouse gas emissions, natural catastrophe risk, drinking water, sanitation and air pollution.

London was noted for strong performance in the economic and social sub-indices with good health and education systems.

However, it was also described as a "victim of its own success" as it has started to struggle with its growing population - with its housing shortage described as a "grave crisis".

Congestion and ageing infrastructure are at the heart of current issues, but so too are a chronic shortage of affordable housing, declining air quality, and the more visible impact of climate change and resilience against the elements.

• Sustainable Cities Index on London

You can see London's profile here.

A spokesperson for Boris Johnson, the mayor of London, told i100.co.uk that the city's position as one of the most sustainable cities in the world is "well deserved" but also pointed to ambitions to continue improving its record.

As London’s population reaches record highs, the mayor is ensuring the city can continue to operate sustainably and successfully. His London 2050 Infrastructure Plan is the first ever attempt to set out the full range of infrastructure requirements over the next half century.

He has also set ambitious housing targets that aim to double the number of new homes built and has identified numerous sites across the capital that are each ripe for thousands of new homes and jobs.

• Spokesperson for the mayor of London

Labour’s London Assembly housing spokesperson: What Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know about his housing record

Two other British cities - Manchester and Birmingham - also make it into the top 20. Manchester (14th) was noted for its good quality of life, while Birmingham (18th) was commended for its high environmental performance.

Another point of interest is the fact that seven of the top 10 cities on the list are in Europe, with the other three in Asia.

Despite being some of the most developed in the world, no North American cities make the top 10 - with Toronto (12th) and Boston (15th) coming closest - one of the main failings for US and Canadian cities is their poor score on the environment sub-index.

City leaders need to find ways to balance the demands of generating strong financial returns, being an attractive place for people to live and work in, whilst also limiting their damage to the environment.

• Sustainable Cities Index

Some of the least sustainable cities included those that are most rapidly growing - Jakarta (45th), Wuhan (48th) and New Delhi (49th). The least sustainable on the list is Nairobi.

There is no utopian city, the study notes, with city leaders facing a tough balancing act across the three sub-indices.

However, the index also notes that, in general, cities across the world are underperforming on the social measure with many economic powerhouses now becoming simply too expensive for many people to thrive in.

The challenge for rapidly developing cities – particularly those in Asia, the Middle East, and South America – that have focused their efforts on economic sustainability, is to ensure that they become true centres for people, and that poor environmental performance doesn’t hold them back.

• Keith Brooks, UK Cities Director at Arcadis

The Sustainable Cities Index was compiled by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) and experts from design consultancy firm Arcadis.

You can read the full report here.

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