A Belgian city included in the ranking of the most ecological destinations in Europe

It is not only citizens who adopt the right actions and reflexes to protect the planet. Cities are also making efforts on their own scale. But some invest more than others, as evidenced by a recent ranking carried out during the Smart City Expo, which will be held in Barcelona from November 5 to 7. This show is dedicated to cities and urban innovations. It brings together business leaders and organizations to help “ moving cities towards a smarter and more sustainable future ».

The ranking focused on the greenest European capitals. To establish their ranking, the experts studied several criteria such as the number of electric or hybrid buses, the number of electric terminals for vehicles, the presence of cycle paths, the number of bicycle rental companies established in the city… The idea is to assess whether European capitals encourage their populations to adopt a gentler and more ecological mode of transport, particularly on short journeys.

Good news, Brussels is one of the good students, taking ninth place in the ranking. Experts write about our capital: “ The presence of electric vehicles on the roads of the Belgian capital (14,000) is in line with the average for other European capitals, even if its penetration rate remains comparatively lower. In terms of public transport, the network is less extensive, with only 75 electric buses in service. However, cycling plays an important role as a mode of transport, with more than 650 km of cycle paths, allowing the city to achieve a score of 4.93 in the ranking “. The city of Brussels adopted a first climate plan in 2018, while the second was implemented in 2022 with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality in 2050. As for the European Union, it was decided to reduce car emissions by 55% by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 as well.

Discover in video how to rediscover Brussels by bike:

You would have thought that Amsterdam would take first place in the ranking, but it was London that stood out with a final score of 5.87. The British capital is home to 80,000 electric vehicles and 11,000 charging stations. Not surprising when you know that it is one of the largest cities on the old continent. Experts highlight the very advanced electric bus network with 1,397 vehicles. “ The city aims to transition to a completely zero-emission bus fleet by 2034. Thanks to these sustainable transport options, London maintains a moderate pollution level of 8.40, despite being one of the largest cities in Europe ».

Amsterdam is obviously not very far since it takes second place in the ranking with a score of 5.71. Its strong points? Its number of bikes. The Dutch capital has more than 880,000 bicycles to its name. The figure is impressive but proves that Amsterdammers truly have a cycling culture anchored in them. Among the 880,000 bicycles, around 15,000 would be electric. Another advantage: electric vehicles are well off since they can be recharged at 13,000 terminals. Finally, Amsterdam can boast of having 800 kilometers of cycle paths.

Third place goes to Vienna with a score of 5.70. She “ has 18,000 electric vehicles, but the number of charging stations is relatively low: only 1,374 are available. The city’s public transport consists of an extensive network of metros, trams and buses, 150 of which are electric. Vienna also has an extensive network of cycle paths, totaling 1,300 km, as well as numerous bicycle rental services ».