Canberra named world's most sustainable city

The national capital came out on top of a list published by UK comparison company Uswitch.

Cities were assessed on a range of sustainability measures including energy, transport infrastructure, affordability, pollution, air quality, carbon dioxide emissions and the percentage of green space in the area.

The report said Canberra fared highly in the rankings due to its reliance on renewable energy and its large amounts of green space.

"[Australia's] capital relies heavily on solar power and nearby wind farms, while also ensuring an incredible 94 per cent of its residents have internet access to make this one connected city," the report said.

"An incredible 86.6 per cent of Canberra's transport infrastructure is green."

It comes after the ACT became the first Australian jurisdiction in 2019 to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.

The territory government aims to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

The capital came in second place in the report when it came to air pollution, pipped at the post by its neighbours across the ditch in Wellington.

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New Zealand's capital recorded a score of 13.66 on the pollution index, meaning 13.66 particles of air are polluted for every 100, while Canberra was just behind with 13.89.

While Canberra held the top spot on the overall list, it wasn't the only Australian city to make the cut.

Brisbane took out third place, with an overall score of 382 out of a possible 600 in the report.

For comparison, Canberra recorded a score of 427.

European cities and two cities in the United Arab Emirates completed the list.

No cities from the US were listed in the broader top 30, with more prominent world capitals further down the list.

London came in 12^th, Tokyo 22^nd, while Paris and Berlin placed 24^th and 30^th respectively.

The report also listed the least sustainable cities, with the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah taking out the title.

"[Jeddah] suffers from a heavy reliance on fuel and gas," the report said.

"In face, much of Saudi Arabia's economy is funded by fossil fuel exports, which increase the country's bank balance but badly damage its impact on the environment."

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