The UK’s Greenest Cities to work in
Becoming more environmentally conscious in our working lives is more important than ever, and the cities we work in are at the forefront of making the world a greener place. But which cities in the UK are doing the best job of creating a sustainable place to work?
To find out, we’ve compared data from the UK's top cities, looking at metrics such as the number of electric cars on the roads, the number of charging devices available, the number of parks, CO2 emission levels, and the number of roles listed as ‘green’ jobs. We then created an overall average score to create our final ranking.
The UK’s top 10 most sustainable cities to work in
| Rank | City | Private electric vehicle registrations per 10,000 people | Number of EV chargers per 10,000 people | Number of parks per 10,000 people | Emissions per km² (kt CO₂e) | Air pollution score | Number of ‘green’ jobsper 10,000 people | Green City Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edinburgh | 60 | 6 | 1.63 | 7.6 | 25.75 | 21 | 6.79 |
| 2 | Leeds | 75 | 9 | 1.78 | 6.4 | 45.95 | 18 | 6.77 |
| 3 | Bradford | 51 | 5 | 1.64 | 5.3 | 54.17 | 13 | 5.45 |
| 4 | Manchester | 27 | 4 | 1.69 | 16.2 | 50 | 39 | 5.41 |
| 5 | Coventry | 25 | 25 | 0.95 | 12.1 | 42.19 | 15 | 5.33 |
| 6 | Swansea | 28 | 4 | 0.7 | 2.3 | 20 | 13 | 5.12 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 27 | 5 | 0.83 | 7.9 | 12.5 | 10 | 5 |
| 8 | Plymouth | 24 | 5 | 1.15 | 10.4 | 26.19 | 18 | 4.99 |
| 9 | Belfast | 27 | 3 | 1.06 | 10.3 | 23.12 | 17 | 4.89 |
| 10 | Sheffield | 31 | 2 | 1.12 | 5.4 | 30.21 | 8 | 4.76 |
Edinburgh
Edinburgh has been crowned the most sustainable city to work in the UK, with an overall score of 6.79 out of 10 — the highest of all cities analysed. For those looking to get outside, Scotland's capital has the fourth-highest number of parks with 1.68 per 10,000 people on offer in the city. Its CO2 emissions are also relatively low, at 6.4 per km², which is almost four times less than in London, which sees emissions as high as 23.5 per km².
Although it doesn’t rank first for any of the individual metrics analysed, Edinburgh has consistently high scores across the board. It has the third-highest number of electric vehicle registrations per 10,000 people, with 60, as well as one of the highest numbers of EV charging devices per 10,000 people (6).
Leeds
The runner up for the greenest city in the UK is Leeds, with an overall score of 6.77 out of 10. The city has the most private electric vehicle registrations per 10,000 people (74) — that’s 3,345 overall. Leeds meets this demand as it has the third largest number of electric vehicle charging devices with 9 per 10,000 people (412 overall).
With an impressive 4,000 hectares of green space, Leeds also boasts the highest number of parks, with 1.78 per 10,000 people, hosting 81 parks overall. Roundhay Park in North Leeds is one of the biggest city parks in Europe, spanning more than 700 acres of green space.
Bradford
Coming in third place is another northern city, Bradford, with an overall score of 5.45. The city has the lowest emissions of all locations in the top five, with a score of 5.3 per km². Bradford is also home to a large number of parks, with 49 dotted around the city — this equates to 1.64 per every 10,000 residents.
There are also plenty of electric vehicles in use throughout the city, with 51 personal EV registrations per every 10,000 people (or 1,518 in total).
Manchester
Manchester’s overall score ranks as the fourth best on the list, with a total of 5.41 out of 10. For those wanting to focus on working for a company where sustainability is a priority, this city is the place to be. When analysing the number of job roles here listed as ‘green’ on LinkedIn, we found that there are on average 39 green jobs per 10,000 people, some of which include Environmental Consultants, Sustainability Leaders and Ecologists.
The city also has the second-highest number of parks per 10,000 people, coming just behind Leeds with 1.69 (67 overall in the city).
Coventry
Coming fifth in our list is Coventry, with an impressive total score of 5.33. Coventry ranks top for the city with the highest number of electric vehicle chargers per 10,000 people (25), with a whopping total of 903 available for residents to use.
The UK’s least sustainable cities to work in
| Rank | City | Private electric vehicle registrations per 10,000 people | Number of EV chargers per 10,000 people | Number of parks per 10,000 people | Emissions per km² (kt CO₂e) | Air pollution score | Number of ‘green’ jobsper 10,000 people | Green City Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nottingham | 10 | 3 | 0.48 | 15.1 | 46.67 | 9 | 2.52 |
| 2 | Leicester | 13 | 2 | 0.71 | 17.2 | 28.95 | 10 | 3.22 |
| 3 | Liverpool | 12 | 2 | 0.6 | 12.4 | 28.12 | 6 | 3.26 |
| 4 | Stoke-on-Trent | 16 | 1 | 0.48 | 10.9 | 33.33 | 11 | 3.34 |
| 5 | Southend-on-Sea | 23 | 1 | 0.51 | 7.4 | 41.67 | 11 | 3.52 |
| 6 | Kingston upon Hull | 11 | 2 | 0.99 | 12.8 | 40.91 | 15 | 3.61 |
| 7 | Birmingham | 27 | 4 | 0.82 | 14.4 | 47.09 | 14 | 3.64 |
| 8 | Cardiff | 28 | 2 | 0.76 | 10.7 | 30.56 | 15 | 4.26 |
| 9 | London | 64 | 15 | 1.32 | 23.5 | 62.9 | 8 | 4.28 |
| 10 | Newport | 21 | 3 | 0.29 | 4.6 | 17.86 | 11 | 4.33 |
1. Nottingham
On the other end of the spectrum, our research found that Nottingham is the least sustainable city to work in, with the lowest overall score of 2.52. The city has the fewest number of electric vehicle registrations, at just 10 per 10,000 people. It also has one of the lowest numbers of charging devices available per 10,000 people (3), as well as less than one park per 10,000 people (0.48).
Despite the fact it's ranked the least sustainable, Nottingham is however looking to become greener in the next few years through various transport projects like introducing wireless charging electric taxis and e-scooters. The city is striving to improve the quality of life for the community and plans to eventually become a self-sufficient energy city!
2. Leicester
Leicester has ranked as the second least sustainable city in the UK, with an overall score of 3.22. In particular, the city’s emissions are relatively high, with a score of 17.2 per km² — which is nearly three times that of Edinburgh.
There aren’t a huge number of personal electric vehicles being used in the city either, with just 13 per every 10,000 people currently registered. This might also explain why the number of electric vehicle charging points are low in Leicester, with just two for every 10,000 people.
However, the city does have initiatives in place to become more sustainable, including the development of the UK’s first net zero bus station, which opened in 2022.
3. Liverpool
Liverpool has the third-lowest overall score of all the cities, coming just ahead of Leicester with 3.26.
Liverpool has the third lowest number of electric vehicles per 10,000 people, with 12. It also has one of the lowest figures for the number of EV charging devices in the city (with just two per 10,000 residents), as well as the fewest green job opportunities available, at just six per 10,000 people.
Stoke-on-Trent and Southend-on-Sea round off the top five least sustainable UK cities to work in.
Tips on how to be more sustainable in everyday life
“It’s more important than ever for cities to be environmentally conscious. Changes to your everyday lifestyle can impact the reduction of global emissions and increase the well-being of communities. No matter how small you might think they are, simple eco-conscious changes to your work and home life can make a huge difference.”
1. Switch to an electric car
Switching to an electric car is one of the best ways to start your transition to net zero. Electric vehicles produce significantly less greenhouse gas emissions and are also more cost-effective.
We aim to help people switch to an electric car easily and affordably by saving people 30-60% of the cost through salary sacrifice. Businesses benefit by showing they’re taking positive steps to be more eco-friendly, and employees save money on their journey to net zero. It’s a no-brainer if you’re trying to be more sustainable!”
2. Drive efficiently
Driving habits are another great way to cut down on emissions. By driving efficiently, you can cut down on fuel usage by limiting unnecessary acceleration and braking. Drive at a constant speed, anticipate the road ahead, and make sure to switch off your engine when stationary for longer than one minute.
3. Switch to renewable energy at home
“Installing solar panels is a cost-effective way of generating energy for the home. Not only do solar panels convert sunlight into electricity, but you can also sell any unused energy to the national grid. Hydroelectric energy, biomass generators and wind turbines are also great renewable options to avoid consuming fossil fuels.”
