Australian Cities Fall Down Global Sustainability Index

Despite the ongoing shift in cities to more sustainable practices, Australia’s capitals are lagging behind the world—and the 30-minute city has been touted as one way we can improve.

Three Australian capital cities were included in the 2022 Sustainable Cities Index but none made the top 30.

Arcadis’s Sustainable Cities Index ranks 100 global cities on three categories—people, profit and planet, with 28 indicators across these categories.

Indicators include air pollution, green spaces, energy consumption and renewable energy share, and access to sustainable transport. 

The cost of broadband and wifi, rates of education, access to health care, income inequality, the ease of doing business, economic development, employment rates, green finance and job quality are also measured.

Sydney’s high rating in the profit category helped it to position 33, the highest Australian city on the index.

But its lack of bike infrastructure and environmental exposure pushed its ranking down.

Melbourne was considered strong for health and income equality but fell short on affordability and transport links, landing it at 60.

Brisbane, which had rated in the top 50 five years ago in part due to its bike network, came in at 64.

Arcadis 2022 Sustainable Cities Index

^{Source: Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index, 2022} 

Arcadis Australian cities director Stephen Taylor said the results reflected the need to improve sustainability results in urban policy and planning. 

“My take on this is that we’ve been trading on the natural beauty of our cities but this is no longer enough—people demand more,” Taylor said.

Housing affordability is a key concern across all Australian cities and Taylor said one option was to invest in 30-minute cities or neighbourhoods.

“Enabling people to live, work and socialise within a much smaller radius takes pressure off those inner-city suburbs that are in such high demand because of their proximity to the best opportunities,” he said. 

“This is not a short-term solution though—when we’re thinking about urban planning on this scale, we are really playing the long game.”

Scandinavian capitals ranked highest in the index, putting them in the driver’s seat to attract global companies, skilled migrants and international students, all key parts of a country’s economy. 

“Being a sustainable and prosperous city isn’t just a ‘nice-to-have’ for residents—it’s part of a city’s identity and is critical for people looking to make life-changing moves to new parts of the world,” Taylor said.

“The concept of prosperity isn’t just about how much money you can make—it is first and foremost about the quality of life you can lead.”

Australian cities work towards a better quality of life for residents is, of course, ongoing. 

In Melbourne, a big rollout and upgrade of bike infrastructure within the CBD limits is under way.

Adelaide’s lord mayor Sandy Verschoor is one of a number of Australians appointed to co-chair the WELL Cities Advisory initiative to help cities implement sustainable policies that help grow cities and improve their residents’ quality of life. 

“There are exciting initiatives coming out from our city councils and state governments to connect and green our cities and if the recent federal election is any indication, there is a real desire in the community to invest in a more sustainable future,” Taylor said.