Greenest Cities of Asia
Here is some research sponsored by Siemens, to measure the environmental performance of the 22 major cities in Asia. This study has graded the cities accordingly and placed them under 5 performance categories: Well Above Average, Above Average, Average, Below Average and Well Below Average.
Singapore took the top spot!
It’s good that Siemens acknowledged how important it is to keep our cities “green”. This includes increasing the efficiency of transportation, public cleanliness, reduction of waste, improving air quality… amongst other things. It is the continual determination to want to improve your country that pushes a government to do the above.
If a government places a lot of importance on these things, it shows that they really care about their people. Their society will have a better standard of living and taking care of the environment will have a good long-term effect nationally and globally. Hopefully this research will encourage other countries to do as Singapore has been doing so far… caring for the environment and for their people.
I have extracted the top 16, do take a look at each individual country’s performance…
Tsem Rinpoche
SINGAPORE
Singapore is a prosperous city-state with a population of about 5 million people. Its residents are the fourth-wealthiest among the 22 cities in the index and generate a GDP per person of US$36,500. The city is the only one in the Index to rank well above average overall. It consistently shows strong results across all individual categories, performing especially well due to policies to maintain and improve the urban environment. Since the city gained independence in 1965, the government has emphasized the importance of sustainability.
HONG KONG, CHINA
Hong Kong is a major East Asian financial, trading and transport hub, with one of the world’s busiest ports. Its GDP per capita of nearly US$30,000 places it in the high-income group of the Index. Hong Kong ranks above average overall. The city’s best performance is in the land use and buildings category, where it ranks well above average, boosted by having one of the largest amounts of green spaces in the Index. In general, Hong Kong benefits from having a wide range of proactive policies to improve and protect its environment.
OSAKA, JAPAN
Osaka City has a population of 2.7 million. With a GDP per capita of approximately US$71,000, it is the most prosperous city in the Index, and ranks above average overall. Osaka performs best in the transport category, benefiting from the second-longest transport network in the Index. It generally performs well, ranking above-average in the remaining seven environmental categories. Particular strengths include a robust waste collection and sanitation infrastructure and some of the strongest water sustainability policies.
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA
Seoul is home to 10.5 million people and is the country’s political, economic and cultural centre, generating a GDP of US$19,000 per capita. The city is above average in six of the eight categories and also ranks above average overall. It scores well for having the densest metro and bus rapid transit system of all cities in the Index and for being consistently strong on policies to maintain and improve the urban environment. The city faces its biggest challenges in air quality, affected by the surrounding province’s manufacturing industries.
TAIPEI, TAIWAN
Taipei City, the capital of Taiwan, has a population of 2.7 million. With a GDP per capita of US$48,000, it is the third-richest city in the Index, and ranks above average overall, as well as in the seven of the eight individual categories. Although it is divided into 12 districts, responsibility for environmental policies lies with a single department. Taipei has the second-lowest energy consumption level, a large amount of green spaces and, in comparison to other high-income cities, the lowest CO2 emission per person.
TOKYO, JAPAN
Tokyo is home to 13 million people, accounting for almost a third of the country’s economic output. It is Japan’s commercial capital, with a per capita GDP of roughly US$70,000. Tokyo ranks above average overall in the Index. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has attempted to establish the city as a pioneer in environmental issues. It has started several initiatives and has even instituted policies which were later adopted by the national government.
YOKOHAMA, JAPAN
Yokohama, with a population of 3.7 million, is one of the richest cities in the Index with a GDP per capita of US$30,200. The city ranks above average overall in the Index and does consistently well across all categories, with a ranking well above average in the water category. In 2008, the city was named one of the six “environmental model cities” in Japan. Officials have set targets to reduce the city’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2025 and 60% by 2050, and have also targeted waste reduction as a key environmental priority.
BANGKOK, THAILAND
Bangkok, with an average overall ranking in the Index, is Thailand’s regional commercial and transportation hub and home to 5.7 million people. Its services-dominated economy accounts for nearly 30% of Thailand’s GDP. To deal with the environmental challenges caused by a growing population, Bangkok has implemented various measures such as a dedicated global warming action plan. With its particular progress in vehicle emissions standards, the city’s best performance is in the areas of environmental governance and air quality.
BEIJING, CHINA
Beijing, China’s capital city with some 17.6 million inhabitants, is a sprawling commercial hub, generating a GDP of just about US$10,000 per capita. Beijing is trying to balance its growth ambitions with a stated desire to protect the environment and ranks average overall. To prepare for the 2008 Olympic Games, the national and city governments invested heavily in improving air quality, landscaping and transport. The city still faces significant environmental challenges, especially in the area of greenhouse gases.
DELHI, INDIA
Delhi, with some 17.4 million inhabitants, is the third most populous city in the Index and the second economical centre in India. Its average per capita income of US$2,000 is more than twice the national average, but the city is still among the poorest in the Index. Delhi ranks average overall, but excels for one of the lowers levels of CO2 emissions in the Index and for generating the least amount of waste per capita of all 22 cities. Delhi hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2010, which spurred city officials to embrace green policies.
GUANGZHOU, CHINA
Guangzhou, with a population of nearly 8 million and a GDP per capita of US16,800, ranks average overall in the Index. Its best performance is in the sanitation category, driven by robust sanitation standards and strong policies on monitoring. The city also excels for the most green spaces per capita. Since 2008, Guangzhou has been at the center of an ambitious infrastructure investment programme to promote economic integration in the Pearl River Delta. The government has also completed a number of major public transport projects.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA
Jakarta is ranked average overall in the Index. Indonesia’s capital is the country’s largest city, with a population of 9.2 million. With a GDP per person of US$7,600, it is the richest city in Indonesia, but is still among the lower income cities in the Index. Jakarta scores best in the energy and CO2 category, mainly for its low levels of CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The city has shown leadership by pledging to reduce carbon emissions by 30% by 2020, going beyond the national target.
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and the country’s business and financial centre. The city is relatively prosperous with a GDP per capita of US$12,400 and ranks average overall in the Index. Transport and air quality are Kuala Lumpur’s strongest categories. Proactive transport policies, along with a relatively extensive and advanced rapid transit network are paying off. Although vehicle traffic is still heavy in the city, Kuala Lumpur has the second-lowest level of sulfur dioxide emissions in the Index.
NANJING, CHINA
Nanjing, with a population of 7.7 million, is a major manufacturing base with special focus on chemical and car production, but also a growing service economy. Although the city boasts the largest inland port in China, it generates GDP per capita of only US$7,300 and therefore falls into the low-income range. Nanjing ranks average overall in the Index, but stands out in some aspects – especially in the water category, where it benefits from low levels of water leakage and robust policies on water quality and sustainability.
SHANGHAI, CHINA
Shanghai, often referred to as China’s commercial and financial centre, has enjoyed strong economic growth over the past two decades. It is now among the richest cities in China, generating a GDP per capita of US$11,500. With 19.2 million inhabitants, Shanghai is the most populous city in the Index. The city’s selection as the venue for World Expo 2010 was a sign of its growing international status. Shanghai ranks average overall in the Index, with strong clean air policies, the world’s longest metro network, but also very high CO2 emissions.
WUHAN, CHINA
Wuhan, with a population of 8.4 million and a GDP per capita of US$8,100, ranks average overall in the Index. The city faces environmental challenges due to rapid growth and an economic base dominated by emissions-intensive industries. In 2007, the government designated Wuhan an experimental zone for sustainability policies. The city has now put greater emphasis on several environmental initiatives and on lower-carbon industries and services, suggesting that it can improve its overall environmental performance going forward.
(Text and images extracted from http://www.siemens.com/entry/cc/en/greencityindex.htm?stc=wwccc024515)
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Thank you for the sharing, proud to have a greenest city in Asia. Of many Asian country I found Singapore has the quality of life, that will make it as the city caters to all tastes and price levels. For the very most reason because of the strict laws Singapore is quite possibly the safest city on Earth and frequently associated for the word “clean, green, efficient and safe”.
Even though it a small country, it has transformed into a place which values the nostalgia and memories of the land by adapting a modern way of thinking. I loved to visit Singapore during festivals just to admire the elegant decor and lightings.
I think due to their fast growing in all aspect, Singapore soon will be one of the best first-world cities and one of the most desirable city to live in.
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Looking back at these ranking… perhaps Penang should be on the list as well. We should geared towards to self-sustained. Everyone should do their part even by bits. Perhaps can start a recyclable corner at home, reduce buying unnecessary things or even recycle those unwanted things.
One may wonder how is that all these “green” cities are all highly developed and populated concrete jungles in Asia. Well, first of all the statistic is specifically for Asia’s major CITIES. One could argue that it is exactly the development of these cities that brought about the global warming climate issues we are in today. Probably true but many countries are starting to acknowledge the situation and taking responsibility towards sustainability.
Take Singapore for example, everything about Singapore screams skyscrapers, buildings, infrastructures, it’s THE concrete jungle of South East Asia. The island is so small, parks and beaches are luxuries. Singaporeans travel out of Singapore just to enjoy nature. But yet this city TOP the list of Asia’s greenest cities and probably among the top in the world too.
Singapore to my knowledge was one of the first country to incorporate green building requirements into its legislation. Due to its lack of land and natural resources, the country turn towards modern technology for sustainability. Singapore claims the opening of the world first commercial vertical hydroponics farm.
There is hope and a lot of potential for all the concrete jungles in the world. Scientists and researchers have been moving towards renewable energy and sustainable living for decades and the results are starting to penetrate into people’s daily lives. Cities after cities are starting to enforce recycling. Solar power are becoming household product. Indoor and household farming are starting to becoming more and more popular. Vegetarianism is reported to be on the rise in many major countries around the world. It is up to us to collectively act as responsible citizens of Earth keeps up the momentum of this green sustainable movement. Every individual counts.
怎样才算是一个绿色城市或一个持续性发展的城市？一般而言是其设计考虑了尽量减少资源、水资源、食物和能源的使用率；排污能力、空气污染等，减低对环境造成的负面影响。
居住在某个城市的人或许并不太去在意排污、空气等指数，对他们来说，切身的体会比较重要，绿色城市对城市人来说，就是“出行方便、不堵车、居住周围的教育、医疗、饮食、购物一应俱全”的城市。
居住功能完善的城市就是学校、医院、邮政局、馆子、购物中心在四周的城市，不必跑老远获得某些服务，那就是好的规划。
公共交通这一环很重要，因为堵车的城市是个令人气馁的城市，一天下来把三五个小时耗在交通上，除了浪费能源，也实在太浪费生命了。当然糟糕的空气和水素质也令不少人对某些城市却步。
然而，有人说“城市文化”才是城市规划的灵魂。一个没有书香、艺术气息的城市该会是个冷漠、看上去灰蒙蒙，没有个性的城市。这项如果符合了，嘿，住在这样的城市，应该不会太寂寞。
It is very important that we take care of our planet and not to waste resources. Nowadays, there are many electrical appliances which is green. There are also many buildings which employ a lot of green technology. We should use as much green products as possible.
Also, before we buy any goods, we should ask ourselves, “Is it something we like? Or is it something we need?” and we should buy things which we really need as much as possible.
First thank you for posting! This is so valuable to know. I live in the states and would be interested to see a breakdown such as this for each state. Very nice!
i hope more people will realise that we need to take care of the environment; not take from the environment all the time – may we learn to be less selfish, more altruistic. Thank you, Rinpochela, for sharing this piece of information.
Thank you Rinpoche for posting and sharing this not just for general knowledge, awareness, education, but also appreciation and gratitude for what we have, are able to enjoy is due to the kindness of people at large. And how we can give back by playing our part so that everyone has a better quality of life!
SIngapore is quite unlike her neighbours who are rich in natural resources -top of the list stands land and water among other things. From young we are brought up to acknowledge this fact and that the resource we do have – is people – the human resource. And what comes naturally hand in hand is the driven message of sustainability.
I was just back there, walking on the beach, at East Coast Park and taking in the breeze, fresh air, greenery, along with many sound of birds chirping at various “Bird Sanctuaries” interspersed… I am not the only one there “enjoying” for there are many families there as well.
And yes, the park is spick n span, because everyone does their part to make it beautiful, clearing up after their picnics, barbecues, so that the next person can enjoy what they themselves had. People think that it is because we have been well trained, it is automatic that we throw litter in a bin, etc. But it goes beyond that – we simply would like to have or leave a legacy, a brighter greener future for the next generation.
The bottom line – we have been brought up to respect each other and that extends to the space we live in, share, plus the limited resources we partake like water. We are one people living together, existing together and what we do affect all of us. And being on an island ( but not in the insular context/perspective) , perhaps we see that happening 3 x more magnified – the outcome if we do not take ownership and consider the long term survival-ship, the sustainability.
Being it doesn’t stop at just being green, having “Green Lungs” at estates, working districts, parks… as it also mean cutting down wastage and learning to recycle more…the whole works come into play, and it is still playing with the recycling index, % growing higher with each effort.
And it still comes back to the people caring for them – for the next step undertaken is improved healthcare with emphasis on geriatrics due to our aging population. We have to care for other seniors – for without them we would not be where we are today.
Oh wow! I think that the list is pretty accurate because I do find that Singapore is one of the cleanest cities in Asia. I live in Malaysia and I do agree with the ratings for most of the columns except perhaps the transportation system.
Yes, the LRT trains do ply through most of the suburban areas but the rail tracks can’t go onto every street. The other forms of transportation like taxis and buses that are supposed to complement LRT are not really well managed and planned. More roads and highways are being built but traffic still seems to be getting worse. Some areas in town have improved but not as much as the government has invested. However, the other areas really leaves much to be desired….