Edinburgh was ranked 13th on a list of the World’s Most Sustainable Cities in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index.
The 2016 Index ranked 100 cities, evaluating them according to their social, environmental and economic sustainability.
The report states that European cities command a majority of the top spots in the ranking, with Singapore and Seoul the only non-European countries in the top 15, at second and seventh place respectively.
The report is divided up into three sections covering people, planet and profit.
Within the ‘people’ section, statistics pertaining to education, health, income inequality and crime were taken into consideration. Edinburgh was ranked 38th in the world in this category, showing that there is considerable room for improvement.
The Scotsman quotes Graham Hill, the Arcadis’ Cities Director for Edinburgh, stating: “Edinburgh still suffers from a relative lack of income equality.”
Hill highlights the need for greater “access to opportunities in less privileged areas.”
In the category of ‘planet’ they measured the environmental risks to the city, the number of green spaces, air pollution levels, and waste management. Edinburgh came in 22nd place in the world in this category.
Edinburgh fared well in terms of green spaces, with 112 parks. A survey conducted amongst students at the University of Edinburgh suggests that 62.5 per cent of people think that this is what Edinburgh is doing best to promote sustainability.
25 per cent of students surveyed believed that Edinburgh’s efficient public transportation links were the strongest point, with 12.5 per cent stating that limiting development projects is helping Edinburgh to be sustainable.
In a statement published by the Edinburgh City Council, Jack Donnelly, Chief Executive of Marketing Edinburgh, said: “This is an incredible opportunity to shape our city – from the community, economy and environment. It urges you to question what makes Edinburgh so special, set your horizons on a better city and share your thoughts on what the Edinburgh of 2050 should be.”
Image: Alex Hunter