Capital retains crown as UK's greenest city

Published on Wednesday 1 October 2008 09:49

EDINBURGH is the greenest city in the UK, an environmental poll has found.

The recent survey not only discovered that the Capital had the greenest reputation, but for the third year running voted it the city which offers the best quality of life in the country.

The annual study by real estate advisors Cushman and Wakefield bases its findings on 21 attributes from 15 British cities.

However, the poll found Glasgow to be a better place to set up a business than the Capital, and also stated that its transport system was better.

Dr Richard Dixon, director of the World Wildlife Federation in Scotland, praised Edinburgh for its green credentials, which saw respondents vote it comfortably the city with the cleanest air. He sounded a note of caution however, saying the city had plenty more to do to sustain the billing.

He said: "Edinburgh has made good progress but the failure to go for congestion charging means the city will have to do a lot more on transport, as well as air pollution, energy use and recycling before it can really claim to be the greenest in the UK.

"Serious action on climate emissions and decentralising energy are being considered, so Edinburgh could become a real green leader among UK cities."