Successful cities

MADRID and Barcelona are two of the greenest cities in the world, it has been revealed.
According to the ‘Sustainable Cities Index,’ compiled by Arcadis, the cities are among the 30 most sustainable in the world, alongside London, Stockholm, and Edinburgh.
Madrid is the slightly greener of the two, ranked in fifteenth place, while Barcelona comes in at twenty-second.
Both cities were praised for their levels of CO2 emissions, energy use, and their incentives for electric car use.
Barcelona in particular was scored down slightly for its lack of green spaces, however.
Another aspect, social factors, brought Madrid into the ranking of the top 10 cities in the world, while Barcelona came in at twenty-fourth place.
The popular destinations won praise for access to education and low crime levels, as well as the digitalisation of their transport systems, and their public services.
Barcelona also has the second highest life expectancy of the cities reviewed.
The cities scored slightly less favourably for economic wages and employment, however, with Madrid at 49, and Barcelona at 47, as both areas continue to recover economically.
The index took into account three main aspects; quality of life and social opportunities, energy use, pollution and emissions, and business and economic performance.