Discover Top 10 Cleanest Cities in the World

How clean a city is can be a decisive factor for its livability, influencing public health, sustainability, and quality of life. Several global organizations rank cities based on environmental factors, and Mercer's Eco-City ranking is among the best-reputed. This kind of ranking uses indicators of air and water quality, waste reduction, transit, and green space.

With superb waste management, excellent public transport, and a focus on sustainable development, Zurich is named the world's cleanest city according to Mercer's most recent Quality of Living and Eco-City rankings. Vienna, Austria, comes in a close second, thanks to its sprawl of green space and quality of public services. Geneva, Switzerland, is among the cleanest, thanks to strict environmental policies and modern urban planning. Besides top-ranked Copenhagen, Helsinki and Munich served up strong air, water and green initiatives.

These rankings show how well-planned policies and strong environmental governance can foster cleaner and healthier urban environments. They set examples for other cities that aspire to improve their sustainability initiatives. In this blog, we will discuss the 10 cleanest cities in the world according to the rankings based on Mercer's Eco-City index, which ranks the cities based on their environmental policies, sustainability initiatives, and overall viability.

Top 10 Cleanest Cities in the World

As of 2024, the following cities are the top 10 cleanest cities in the world. Let's have a detailed insight on why each country is considered the cleanest.

1. Zurich, Switzerland

Due to its strict environmental policies and organized recycling and waste management, Zurich, Switzerland, consistently becomes ranked as the cleanest city on the planet.

Zurich, With a unique waste-to-energy process, the city runs the length at which waste is divided into reusable and absorbable, creating legislation on waste management and disposal, resulting in making up for each other and reducing waste on land.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Efficient Waste Disposal: Well-organized recycling system, strict waste segregation, energy recovery from waste
• High Air Quality: Low emissions from electric public transport and strict regulations on industries.
• Water Bodies: The Limmat River and Lake Zurich have drinking water thanks to advanced filtration systems.
• Sustainable Public Transport: Efficient tram, bus, and bike-sharing network that minimizes vehicle pollution.
• Green urban spaces: Large parks, tree-lined streets, and sustainability programs, such as green rooftops.

2. Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria, is nearly consistently ranked as one of the cleanest cities in the world because of its sustainability efforts, efficient waste management and environmental policies. Vienna ensures clean air and high quality of life for its residents, with more than 50% of the city's area allocated as parks and forests.

All this green space contributes to Vienna’s environmental performance, where sound urban planning, energy-efficient buildings and waste management systems that involve diverting more than 50% of waste for recycling come together.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Waste Management Efficiency: More than 50% of waste gets recycled, advanced net separation and waste-to-energy.
• Greenery: Almost half of Vienna is greenery, clean air, and leisure time.
• Air Pollution: Excellent air quality in Vienna due to low levels of pollution and efficient public transport.
• Sustainable Public Transport: The city has a strong public transport system that helps reduce traffic emissions (buses, trams , and metro).
• Renewable Energy: More than 30% of the energy used in Vienna is from renewable sources, adding to its reputation as an environmentally friendly city.

3. Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva Switzerland, has strict environmental laws and is committed to sustainability, making it one of the cleanest cities in the world. The air quality is high, garbage collection is efficient, and the space is beautiful, with an abundant amount of green.

Policies to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy and preserve the natural environment also demonstrate Geneva's commitment to sustainability

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Geneva enjoys persistently low levels of air pollution, and its annual fine particulate matter (PM2. 5) is well below the European Union’s limit of 25 µg/m³.
• Green areas: Over 20% of the city is made of parks and natural reserves; notable parks include the Parc des Bastions and the lakeside areas.
• Recycling: More Than 50% of its waste is collected through comprehensive recycling programs in place waste management in Geneva.
• Public Transport: Over 60% of intra-city travel is done by public transport, which reduces the overall carbon footprint.
• Lake Geneva: The lake’s water is so pure that it is considered basically drinkable, with the quality ensured by strict wastewater treatment and conservation policies.

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

Copenhagen, Denmark, is often called among the cleanest cities in the world, given its ambitious goals for sustainability and the effort it puts into an eco-friendly cityscape.

Its initiatives around decarbonization, renewable energy, air quality and water quality consistently put the city high on international lists of the most sustainable cities in the world. As it pursues carbon neutrality by 2025, Copenhagen's action plans about climate define a bold goal to lessen the impact on the environment.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Green Energy: Over 40% of Copenhagen’s Energy comes from renewable sources, wind, solar and bioenergy.
• Cycling Infrastructure: Copenhagen calls itself the “City of Cyclists”, and more than 40% of residents bike to work or school every day.
• Air Quality: The city generally achieves lower air pollution levels, while NO2 levels have been much below the WHO recommended limit.
• Waste management: Copenhagen is recycling more than 60% of its waste, and has a waste-to-energy plant providing energy to more than 100,000 homes.
• Resources: The city has a wealth of parks from the famous King’s Garden and Frederiksberg Gardens, promoting a clean and natural environment.

5. Auckland, New Zealand

Auckland, New Zealand, is another one of the cleanest cities in the world, and it is famous for its environmental policies and practices.

Its low levels of pollution, efficient waste management systems, and many green areas mean the city regularly finds itself at the top of the world’s quality of life and cleanliness indexes. Auckland prides itself on air and water of good quality as well as progressive policies aimed at reducing carbon emissions.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Auckland has great air quality; annual records show particulate matter (PM2. 5)
• Waste Management: The city is home to a robust recycling program that has an over 50% recycling rate and initiatives to encourage composting, thereby reducing landfill waste.
• Parks: Auckland has over 4,000 parks, which account for 15% of the total area of the city, offering plenty of green space for its residents.
• Sustainable Transport: More than 10% of Aucklanders currently use public transport, and walking and cycling are part of the city’s clean mobility strategy.
• Water Quality: The water supply is taken from lakes and reservoirs, which are regularly tested to ensure they meet stringent drinking water standards.

6. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is one of the cleanest cities in the world; the city of the Netherlands is known for its environmental policies, including 24/7 waste collection, water purification, and recycling. This city has it all.

Perhaps Amsterdam is best known for its low carbon footprints, unparalleled air conditions, and active waste recycling processes. It earns high marks in sustainability rankings around the world thanks to a commitment to green energy and a very functional public transportation system.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Green Energy: More than 15% of the energy used in Amsterdam is sourced from green energy.
• Air Quality: The air quality of the city remained always under the EU limit values for PM10 and NO2 pollutants.
• Cycling Infrastructure: Amsterdam has over 880,000 bicycles on its roads and there are more bike lanes than car lanes, prioritizing zero-emission transportation.
• Managing Waste: The city boasts a high recycling rate of over 30% and employs waste-to-energy programs that use excess trash for power in local districts.
• Green Spaces: Amsterdam boasts over 10% of its landmass devoted to parks, greenery, gardens, and green roofs, providing cleaner airflow and a cleaner, natural climate.

7. Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt, Germany, is known for its clean urban environment as it goes by the rules of sustainability and environmental protection. As one of Europe’s financial centers, the city has incorporated green initiatives into its urban planning to maintain low levels of air pollution, effective waste management, and ample green spaces.

Frankfurt is unique because of its strict environmental policies, including strict rules on the separation of different types of waste and its promotion of alternative energy sources.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Frankfurt regularly enjoys low levels of air pollution (NO2 emissions below EU thresholds).
• Waste management: The city has a high recycling rate of over 40%, focusing on reducing the amount of rubbish that goes to landfills and composting.
• Green Spaces: Frankfurt has parks and nature reserves covering more than 15% of the area of the city, including Grüneburgpark and the Niederrad Greenbelt.
• Public Transport: Over 40% of daily commutes are taken on public transport, which helps combat carbon output and vehicular congestion.
• Renewable Energy: 30% renewable energy impression in general public was achieved by 2030, mainly with wind & solar energy.

8. Vancouver, Canada

Ranked as one of the cleanest cities on Earth, they have a pristine environment and a commitment to sustainability. Vancouver, Canada riding on the back of natural beauty and a raft of strong environmental policies that focus on carbon emissions, air and water quality, and green space planting.

A more efficient public transport system, widely spread cycle paths, and green construction practices add more beauty to the clean and healthy environment of the city.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Vancouver enjoys the best air quality, with very low PM2.5.
• Green Spaces: More than 20% of the city’s land area is dedicated to parks, including the famous Stanley Park, one of the largest urban parks in North America.
• Waste Management: Vancouver promotes composting and waste reduction, which complements its overall high recycling rate of greater than 55%.
• Transport Sustainability: The city has more than 350 kilometers of cycling paths and a public transportation system.
• Renewable Energy: Vancouver plans to source 100% of its energy from renewable sources.

9. Bern, Switzerland

Bern, the capital of Switzerland, is one of the cleanest cities in the world due to its maintained infrastructure, strict environmental regulations, and focus on sustainability.

Bern is a very clean city, has very good water quality, and has a powerful waste management system, which is also helpful for ensuring its environmental success. The city also focuses on green energy, waste recycling, and carbon reduction, creating a clean city for residents and tourists.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Bern sustainability measures keep air pollution low, and NO2 emissions remain lower than EU levels.
• Green Spaces: With over 20% of the city dedicated to parks and gardens, Bern has multiple parks and gardens, such as Rosengarten and Gurten.
• Recycling: The city is notable for its high recycling rate of over 50% and for its experimental work on waste management.
• Water Quality: The water quality is regularly monitored through the Aare.
• Sustainable Transport: Bern is one of the leaders in regard to public transport, as over 40 percent of its people use public transportation services.

10. Basel, Switzerland

Basel, Switzerland, is one of the cleanest cities in the world as the city emphasizes sustainable practices, waste management, and green spaces. That includes both advanced recycling systems and policies to protect the city’s natural assets, such as the Rhine River that runs through the city.

What Makes it The Cleanest City?

• Air Quality: Basel benefits from excellent air quality in general, PM2.5 levels.
• Green Spaces: Basel is also known for its green spaces like St. Alban's Park and Wiese Park, with more than 15% of the city devoted to nature.
• Waste Disposal: Basel has a recycling rate of over 50%, thanks to a good separation of waste and material reuse.
• Water Quality: The perfection of the city's drinking and natural water supply, with strict monitoring standards. The Rhine River serves as the city's main water source.
• Sustainable Transport: The city features eco-friendly transportation, such as more than 400 kilometers of cycling paths and an effective public transport network that caters to thousands of commuters.

Closing In!

These cleanest cities discussed above are great models for sustainability, environmental sustainability, and green Urbanization. Factors that made it work are green spaces, waste management, clean energy, and clean transport systems in their cities , which have evolved to become cleaner and healthier.

Their commitment to decreasing carbon footprints, enhancing air and water quality, and encouraging recycling and renewable energy greatly contributes to their high cleanliness ranks.

All of these cities have shown that local policies focused on sustainability not only improve the quality of life of their citizens but also help the whole planet to reduce its pollution with the hopes of creating a cleaner and greener world for future generations, as more cities are following these world leaders.

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