Prague is the eighth most sustainable metropolis in the world, according to a study commissioned by the British comparison portal Uswitch, but the absolute winner was Australia’s Canberra, where 88.6 percent of the transport infrastructure is ecological.
On the contrary, the worst city in this respect is Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.
The Australian capital has gained first place mainly for the mentioned infrastructure. The Uswitch server points out that people in Canberra can get almost everywhere by public transport. In addition, shared cars work well there, so residents often travel in groups. Canberra gained other plus points in terms of renewable energy sources as the city overwhelmingly relies on solar and wind.
Canberra is followed by Madrid, Brisbane, Dubai, Copenhagen, and the German cities of Frankfurt and Hamburg.
Prague has placed eighth, however, the portal does not specify the advantages of the Czech capital. However, the evaluation factors were available public transport, air quality, and energy sources. It can, therefore, be deduced that in this respect, Prague is one of the best cities in the world according to a published study. The top ten is closed out by Abu Dhabi and Zurich.
The cleanest air in New Zealand
In terms of air, the New Zealand capital Wellington is by far the best, with a pollution index of 13.66. This means that out of a hundred air particles, only 13.66 are polluted. New Zealand boasts clean air for several reasons, including lower population densities. It doesn’t even have as many large factories, because the main industries are tourism, fishing, and agriculture.
On the contrary, the worst city in the world in terms of sustainability is Saudi Arabia’s Jeddah. It earned only 71 points in the evaluation — in contrast, Canberra has 427 and Prague 359. Other places at the bottom of the rankings are New Delhi, Amman, Tianjin, Sao Paulo, Nairobi, Cairo, Wuhan, Guangzhou, and Macao.
The study highlights Nairobi because over 90 percent of its energy comes from sustainable sources. However, the assessment of the Kenyan capital is significantly reduced by poor air quality and pollution levels.
Title image: A Christmas tree illuminates the Old Town Square in Prague, Czech Republic, Saturday, Nov. 28, 2020. Prague city hall has lit up the Christmas Tre but cancelled the traditional Christmas markets due to a record surge in coronavirus infections. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
