Revealed: The UK’s Greenest Cities
16 June 2025
4 min read
It’s more important than ever to protect our environment, and many of us want to see more greenery and wildlife thriving where we live. That's why, in 2023, we teamed up with Friends of the Earth to launch the Postcode Gardener project, aimed at greening our neighbourhoods and restoring wildlife in nature-deprived areas across the country. But just how green are the UK’s cities, and which one stands out as the greenest?
To answer this, we’ve done some research to see which cities in England are leading the way in sustainability. We’ve ranked cities and towns based on key factors like air quality, green spaces, recycling rates, green jobs, conservation funding, and cycling infrastructure. This study builds on research done by Friends of the Earth a few years ago, which helped shape the Postcode Gardener project. By looking at these factors, we want to highlight where cities are doing well and where there’s still work to be done to make them healthier and greener places to live.
This research is part of our ongoing commitment to making a positive impact alongside Friends of the Earth. We hope it will inspire everyone to think about how we can all help create more sustainable communities and take action in the areas that need it the most.
The top 10 greenest cities in England
According to our research, Reading comes out on top as the greenest city in the UK, thanks to its air quality (77.22), green space (42.04%) and over 700 cycle routes. The city also does well with its recycling efforts, with a 44.79% recycling rate, making it a standout example of urban sustainability.
Sunderland ranks second, with the second best air quality (87.5) of all the cities and towns we surveyed, despite having only 26.69% green space. The city also has a high number of green jobs, especially considering its population size (51.3 green jobs per 10,000 people), and is actively funding conservation projects. However, with only 195 cycle routes and 29.56% recycling routes, there’s definitely some room for improvement.
In third place, Bristol stands out for its commitment to cycling, with an incredible 2,611 cycle routes (23.7 cycle routes per square km), and excellent recycling rates (47.25%), although its air quality score could be better compared to some of the other cities in the country.
Newcastle upon Tyne leads the UK in the green jobs arena, with 57.5 green jobs per 10,000 people, and good conservation funding, as well as positive air quality (69.53), although the city could improve its 24.86% recycling rate and increase the number of cycle routes to encourage more cycling.
Taking fifth place, Nottingham scored well across the board, with 61.67 air quality and 42.86% green space, as well as over 1,000 cycle routes.
While these cities are making great strides, there’s still work to be done to make them even more sustainable for the future.
The least green cities in the UK
Perhaps unsurprisingly, ranking lowest in our index are the two most populated cities in England - London, and Birmingham.
London, ranks at the bottom in 22nd place, with the lowest overall score of 2.03. The city received poor scores in air quality (2.68), recycling (1.35), and funding for conservation (1.00), despite some stronger cycling infrastructure (3.57). The capital also has the highest number of green jobs overall (4,633), but this works out as only 4.7 per 10,000 people due to the city’s dense population. With just 22.29% green space, this is where our Postcode Gardener projects can really help to make a difference to encourage greenery and wildlife back to neglected public spaces.
Birmingham takes second to last place, with an overall score of 2.94, with particularly low scores for recycling (1.00), cycle routes (1.61) and green space, which is not available in the data, but its funding for conservation (4.83) and air quality (5.16) are slightly better.
Slough, at 20th, also ranks low with a score of 3.24, especially due to low ratings in air quality (2.33) and recycling (1.69), despite slightly better performance in green jobs (6.39).
Wolverhampton (ranked 19th) follows with an overall score of 4.13, with significant weaknesses in air quality (1.00) and cycling infrastructure (1.90), though its green jobs score is slightly better (7.93)
Luton ranks 18th with a relatively low overall score of 4.27, scoring poorly on green space (1.00) and cycle routes (3.29), though it performs better in air quality (8.39).
These cities highlight areas where improvements can be made to foster greener, more sustainable urban environments.
How We Can Make Our Cities Greener
Making sustainable choices in our daily lives is something everyone can do, whether you're at home or running a business. For individuals, it can be as simple as using less energy or switching to a green energy supplier, choosing eco-friendly cleaning and home products, buying less, reducing waste and recycling more, switching to an ethical bank, or supporting local green initiatives. You can also find out about the latest Postcode Gardener projects in your area by following us on our social media channels:
If you're a business owner, there are plenty of ways to make your operations more sustainable, like cutting down on waste and energy use, investing in green technology, and sourcing materials ethically and responsibly. These changes not only help the planet but can also have a real impact on your bottom line.
How Businesses Can Lead the Way
Sustainability is becoming a major factor in business success. More people are choosing to support brands that care about the environment, and businesses that embrace sustainability can save money, run more efficiently, and build trust with their customers.
You could also volunteer to support local projects in partnership with Friends of the Earth through their corporate volunteering projects.
As consumers expect more transparency and responsibility, businesses that make sustainability a priority will be more likely to build loyalty, attract new customers, and stay ahead of future regulations. Ultimately, sustainability isn’t just about doing the right thing—it’s also a smart move for long-term growth and success.
Methodology and sources
Link to the full data set here.
To find out which UK cities are the 'greenest', we listed the 30 most populated cities and towns in the UK. Each city was then scored and ranked according to a range of metrics, including:
- Air quality
- Green space
- The number of ‘green jobs’
- Cycle routes
- Recycling rates
- Funding for conservation projects.
Cities where we did not have enough data were removed.
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