In terms of sustainable cities, the European Union has made far more progress as compared to the United States, with the Dutch capital Amsterdam topping Sustainable Cities Index 2024, prepared by engineering firm Arcadis.

Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, takes top spot as most Sustainable City, thanks to strong economic performance, social equity, and investments in renewable energy, while US cities continue to lag and European cities lead.

According to Sustainable Cities Index 2024 by engineering firm Arcadis, there are major disparities in sustainability progress, as cities race to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The report reveals some clear differences between leading sustainable cities such as index-topping Amsterdam (1st),  Danish capital Copenhagen (3rd) and German city of Munich (5th), and those trailing behind, particularly the American powerhouses such as New York (48th), Boston (56th) and Asian giants like Taipei, the capital city of Taiwan (62nd).

The report says that key data points include air pollution, waste management and investment in low carbon infrastructure, including renewable energy and sustainable transport, as well as factors such as economic performance, social equity, and resilience to natural disasters. SCI ranks 100 global cities across three pillars of sustainability, planet, people and profit.

“Maintaining trajectory now critical as SDG deadline approaches, with opportunities for even the highest-ranking cities to accelerate sustainability goals,” says the report.

According to the report, European cities dominate the top of the SCI. Notably, all four German cities included in the index, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and capital Berlin, claim spots in the top 10, buoyed by achievements in water sanitation and waste management and low greenhouse gas emissions.

The report says high performance in the planet pillar is associated with overall success, as evidenced by nine of the top 10 cities for planet also securing positions in the overall top 10.

It says that the planet pillar is comprised of metrics like sustainable energy systems and low-emission transport, suggesting these are powerful tools for urban sustainability and should be key focal points for cities looking to effect meaningful change.

The report says that high performance on the profit metric does not necessarily come at the expense of environmental sustainability.

It emphasises how a thriving economy should support investment in infrastructure, alternative energy sources, green initiatives, and social programmes.

Amsterdam, the most sustainable city of 2024, ranks at the top of the profit pillar, where it excels in income and living standards, employment and transport infrastructure.

Inclusive development strategies needed in North American cities

According to the report, North American cities dominate the profit pillar. San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Houston, New York and Seattle all appear in the top 10 for profit, thanks to ease of doing business, GDP per capita and employment rates.

However, while these cities demonstrate robust business success, their overall rankings show how wage levels and living standards are not keeping pace with economic growth.

The report says that to move higher up, inclusive development strategies will be critical. North American and European cities must draw inspiration from each other to continue making sustainable progress across all pillars.

Sustainability progress over the last decade

When it comes to progress over the last decade, many European cities have continued to make significant strides, despite their highly sustainable starting points to cement their position at the top of the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index.

“Cities play a critical role in advancing the sustainable development agenda. However, our progress assessment shows that a lot more needs to be done to meet the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. With just 2,000 days to go, the challenge is to keep pushing the boundaries of innovation,” says John Batten, Director, Arcadis Global Cities.

The report says that Amsterdam, Rotterdam, the second-largest city in the Netherlands, Poland-capital Warsaw, Copenhagen, central-German city of Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg and Berlin have all sustained momentum to feature in the top third of the progress pillar and the top third of the index overall.

This is thanks to a commitment to renewable energy production, as well as socio-economic factors such as female labor force participation, and healthcare, in the case of Amsterdam in particular.

Meanwhile, although appearing low in the overall rankings, the dominance of Asian cities such as Jakarta, Wuhan, and Shanghai at the top of the progress pillar demonstrate that, in cities with limited prior sustainable infrastructure or practices, early steps towards urban sustainability can have an enormous impact in generating momentum for further advancements.

“Whether that is by scaling up renewable energy initiatives, integrating climate considerations into infrastructure planning, improving mobility through intelligent traffic management, or supporting the retrofit of existing buildings through planning and investment, there are always areas to improve on. As the 2030 deadline approaches cities must build on their successes, identify areas for progress, and foster collaboration to address challenges with ever greater urgency and determination,” Batten adds.