The world has recorded unprecedented urban growth in recent decades. In 2024, a third of the world population was represented by the 1,000 major cities, which were taken into account in the Global City Service of Oxford Economics – a striking evidence of the size and importance of these urban centers. While urbanization offers significant opportunities such as economic development, innovation and improved connectivity, it also poses challenges. This includes increasing pressure on public services, increased demand for infrastructure and in some cases the spread of unplanned and/or insecure urban expansion.
In view of their size and density, urban areas are also among the largest participants for climate change. Cities produce up to 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, although only 2% of the surface of the earth are held. This underlines their paradoxical position: they promote environmental deterioration, but are also one of their most endangered victims and are facing rising temperatures, air pollution and more frequent air -conditioned disasters. For some, these problems are further reinforced by the urban heat island, which makes cities even more hot and dangerous.
In many parts of the world, especially in developmental regions, these problems underline the need for improved urban planning. Make sure that cities are integrative, safe, resilient and sustainable in terms of existence, environmentally friendly and social-sind crucial for achieving the goals for sustainable development (SDGS) and long-term prosperity.
Despite some national retreats, many cities lead the sustainability fee
Sustainability and climate protection can be undeniable problems that require urgent measures. However, some major national governments recently exposed these affairs.
In particular, the United States has reduced the world's second largest CO₂ emitter to China to climate and sustainability obligations. This withdrawal shows a growing tension between long -term sustainability goals and short -term political or economic agendas. For some governments, the medium -term economic disorders in combating climate change and the restructuring towards NET zero are too great, although we may have devastating long -term effects of inactivity that we have modeled as part of our service service for urban climate. As a result, there are increasing concerns that global efforts to achieve sustainable growth lose dynamics.
However, many cities are still committed to the matter. In numerous cases, the local governments bypassed national inertia to lead the indictment for sustainable practices and the resistance of the climate. As highlighted above, this leadership is driven by necessity in view of the oversized role that cities play in the global economy and its ecological footprint.
Identification of sustainable cities in the world
An important question is therefore: Which cities are currently on a sustainable path? Our latest update of the Global Cities Index – a comprehensive rank of 1,000 largest cities worldwide – has provided this to light. The index evaluates the city performance based on five pillars: business, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. As part of our analysis of 2025, however, we have developed a typology of eight different archetypes in the city to identify common patterns and airways in the most important global cities. One of these archetypes is the sustainable city.
We have rated a number of quantifiable features to evaluate this group, with sustainable cities differ across several metrics:
- Air quality– measured by the middle PM2.5 concentration of a city.
- Low emission intensity– As the total CO₂ emissions in relation to the GDP of a city, which reflects the efficiency of economic production in relation to the environmental impact.
- Political stability-Watination for the enabling of long -term planning, investment and political implementation.
- Sector-A city's economic trust in carbon -intensive industrial sectors.
These indicators together offer a multi -dimensional view, which it means to be a sustainable city in today's global context. We also checked these results with an OECD tool that measures the distance towards SDGs in cities and regions.
From Norway to Barbados: The diverse geography of the sustainable cities in the world
In our 2025 Global Cities Index, 63 cities emerged for sustainability. While mature European cities are leading, sustainability management in less expected places, with several island capitals – are all exposed to acute climate threats – deployed courageous environmental initiatives.
Europe is the clear regional champion for sustainability. Countries such as France, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy have numerous cities that cut strongly above our sustainability metrics and include both important capitals and smaller urban centers. This dominance is partially driven by the mature political environment, which is characterized by binding EU initiatives such as the European Green Deal, defines the ambitious climate targets and promotes sustainable urban development. European cities also benefit from coordinated funds at the local level and strict environmental regulations, while in general they have a lower economic dependence on carbon -intensive sectors.
Many European cities have also become leaders in the establishment of green transport and infrastructure networks. Cities like Copenhagen and Zurich are known worldwide for their public transit systems, cycling networks and pedestrian -friendly urban design.
The Nordic economies such as Helsinki, Oslo and Reykjavik are well represented in our sustainable cities. This results from your healthy mix for renewable energies, your political stability and its strong social welfare systems as well as investments in energy -efficient buildings and green spaces in order to counteract the cold climate and increasing weather -related risks.
Interestingly, several remote island cities can also be seen on our list, even though they are not traditional global city power houses. Male (Maldives), Nassau (Bahamas) and Bridgetown (Barbados) all turned out to be examples of sustainable cities. These island cities are exposed to unique environmental dusks such as increasing sea levels, extreme weather events and limited natural resources, which have caused them to introduce aggressive climate adaptation and reduction strategies. Her efforts include considerable investments in renewable energies, water protection technologies and disaster prevention. At the same time, these cities tried to reconcile environmental protection with tourist economies and to promote eco-tourism in order to preserve their natural beauty and support local trade.
Australia and New Zealand also have cities that meet our sustainability thresholds such as Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland and Wellington. The local governments in these cities have adopted advanced sustainability policy that have gone beyond the national guidelines. For example, the city of Sydney should reach no zero by 2035, while the national government is aiming for 2050.
North American cities are underrepresented when it comes to sustainability
On the mainland North America, it is only Vancouver (Canada) that brings a place in our list of sustainable cities, which reflects its extensive strategy for green buildings and investments in renewable energies. Cities from the United States are missing noticeably, which is associated with considerable challenges, which is available from political instability and fragmented climate policy at the federal level. This lack of coherent national leadership hinders progress in sustainability initiatives in many US cities, although some recent signs encouraged the state level.
It is also promising that cities such as Montevideo (Uruguay) and San José (Costa Rica) emerge as managers in urban sustainability within Latin and South America, which proves that even in the middle of economic pressure, the determined efforts for sustainable development can be made.
The street ahead
Overall, cities arise when global urbanization accelerates, not only as a population centers and trade – but as critical arenias for sustainability management. While the Global Cities Index 2025 clearly shows that Europe is a stronghold for sustainability and climate, it is promising that new managers all over the world appear worldwide. And despite some coverage at the national level, especially in the United States, many cities are pushing forward and proving that the future of sustainable development is shaped at the local level.
The Oxford Economics Global Cities Index is based on five categories the largest 1,000 cities in the world: business, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. The Index of Oxford Economics' Global Cities Service offers a consistent framework for the assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of the urban economies in a total of 27 indicators. According to our knowledge, this is the largest and most detailed cities index in the industry. To download the full report, please fill out the following form.