Forum for the Future’s annual Sustainable Cities Index tracks progress on sustainability in Britain’s 20 largest cities - highlighting their environmental performance, quality of life and their readiness for the challenges of the future.

The index is intended to encourage healthy competition, stimulating discussion and giving citizens the tools to hold their leaders to account. It attracts considerable media attention, raising awareness of what it means to be a sustainable city.

Brighton, Bristol and Newcastle have each claimed the top position in the three years since we launched the index in 2007, and it has succeeded in showcasing what they have achieved to their citizens and to other cities.

We measure 13 indicators in three broad baskets:

• Environmental impact – the city’s impact in terms of resource use and pollution;
• Quality of life – what the city is like for people to live in;
• Future-proofing – how well the city is preparing for a sustainable future.

The indicators are designed to give a snapshot of sustainability in each city and chosen to reflect areas in which local authorities have the power to enhance the sustainability of their city.

Overall city rankings

2009 rank (2008) [2007]

1 (4) [8]  Newcastle
2 (1) [3]  Bristol
3 (2) [1]  Brighton and Hove
4 (8) [14]  Leicester
5 (9) [10]  London
6 (13) [5]  Leeds
7 (6) [2]  Edinburgh
8 (10=) [11] Nottingham
9 (7) [7]  Sheffield
10 (5) [6]  Cardiff
11 (14) [17] Coventry
12 (3) [4]  Plymouth 
13 (12) [13] Sunderland
14 (15) [12] Manchester
15 (17) [20] Liverpool
16 (10=) [9] Bradford
17 (19) [19] Birmingham
18 (16) [16] Wolverhampton
19 (18) [15] Glasgow
20 (20) [18] Hull

Download now: Sustainable Cities Index 2009