In 2010 Leicester achieved second place in the Sustainable Cities Index – continuing its steady rise from 14th place in 2007.
The Sustainable Cities Index was developed by think-tank Forum for the Future and tracks progress on sustainable development in Britain’s 20 largest cities.
It compares cities based on 13 indicators covering their: environmental performance, quality of life and future-proofing. The indicators are shown below, along with Leicester’s ranking for each in 2010 (1st being best).
Performance Indicators
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Environmental
Performance
Indicators
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Quality of Life
Indicators
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Future-Proofing
Indicators
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- Employment (16th)
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Transport (3rd)
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Education (20th)
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Health (15th)
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Green Space (8th)
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- Climate Change (9th)
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Local Food (2nd)
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Economy (5th)
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Recycling (6th)
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Leicester did particularly well in its environmental performance, coming first in that basket of indicators overall.
In addition, Forum for the Future comment in their report: “Leicester also shows leadership in future-proofing, with a strong climate change plan linked into existing environmental and corporate risk management, a high recycling rate and new business start-ups pursuing opportunities in sustainability and environmental management.”
However, the results also suggest that big challenges remain in areas such as education, employment, health and air quality.
For more details about the Sustainable Cities Index and Leicester’s performance, visit Forum for the Future’s website.
