How new study scores Birmingham for sustainability

Birmingham has come out top as the UK’s most affordable city to live in, however there is work to do on sustainability, evidenced by its lower scores in this category. Arcadis, a world leading consultancy in delivering sustainable solutions, outlines how Birmingham can face challenges for the future.
New sustainability ranking shows action still needed to maximise Birmingham’s green potentialNew sustainability ranking shows action still needed to maximise Birmingham’s green potential
New sustainability ranking shows action still needed to maximise Birmingham’s green potential

Birmingham needs continued investment to maximise its potential as the UK’s most affordable city, according to a ranking of 100 of the world’s leading cities in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022 (SCI) .

Its position in the rankings places Birmingham as the UK’s most affordable city to live in, putting it in a great position to attract talent and investment for the future. However, with lower than the UK average scores for carbon emissions, congestion and green infrastructure it’s clear that the investment the city is attracting needs to be channelled into projects that will boost the overall sustainability and prosperity of the city.

Birmingham enjoys strong transport infrastructure according to the report, but needs investment to improve the transition to green and active travel, particularly when it comes to bicycles and electric vehicles (EVs). Its e-commerce and ride-hailing services are both strengths but it suffers from congestion and poor overall connectivity which ranks on a par with cities like Leeds and internationally, cities such as Riga and Bogotá, the capitals of Latvia and Colombia respectively.

How Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city, helping the city to attract new talent and investment for the futureHow Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city, helping the city to attract new talent and investment for the future
How Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city, helping the city to attract new talent and investment for the future

Optimistic environmental performance

There’s still plenty for Birmingham to be optimistic about when it comes to environmental performance, with a healthy availability of green spaces, clean air and a very low exposure to environmental risk.

But the city’s comparatively high greenhouse gas emissions, energy usage and renewables all need investment to improve from their middling position. Its rating in that part of the study puts it on a par with Milan and Warsaw internationally.

The SCI examines cities across three pillars of sustainability: planet, people and profit. Though all three factors are weighted equally, the data shows that putting the planet and people first is a more reliable road to prosperity than putting profit first, as long as there is some profit to finance progress.

How Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022How Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022
How Birmingham is the UK’s most affordable city in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022

Simon Marks, Birmingham City Executive at Arcadis, said: “Birmingham is on an exciting journey following the 2022 Commonwealth Games. We are at the start of the Golden Decade and ambitious plans, such as the Our Future City Plan are set to shape the city and continue its transformation into a location for sustainable growth.

“With High Speed 2 (HS2) acting as a major catalyst for growth, the city’s response in the years to come to the opportunities and challenges presented by the climate emergency, cost-of-living crisis and the digital revolution will make lasting changes to the way people live, work, play and learn.

“Birmingham’s Sustainable Cities Index 2022 ranking shows the city has good equilibrium between each of the pillars of planet, people and planet. While still ranking towards the lower end of the other UK and Ireland cities in the ranking, the city needs continued investment to improve its score and build on the momentum of the Commonwealth Games to become a truly global, inclusive city.”

When every fraction of a degree counts towards achieving the Paris Climate Agreement, are we doing enough to try to reach this goal? Arcadis has a clear message and knows what we need to do and where we need to do it; the next step is how.

Why Birmingham still needs action to improve its green potential in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022Why Birmingham still needs action to improve its green potential in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022
Why Birmingham still needs action to improve its green potential in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022

Birmingham’s first mainline terminus station in Britain since the 19th century

Arcadis is working on several key schemes to help Birmingham prepare for the future, including:

- Providing design and engineering services on HS2 which will radically transform Birmingham’s connectivity, including designing the new HS2 Curzon Street Station, which will be the first mainline terminus station to be built in Britain since the 19th century.

- The inclusive regeneration of Perry Barr providing nearly 1000 sustainable, affordable homes and meeting a critical housing need alongside new transport links and a focus on health and wellbeing.

- Regeneration of Digbeth Canal corridor, working with Birmingham City Council and Homes England to create a new vision for the area. Bringing new energy and creativity to develop a thriving neighbourhood for people to live and work in.

- Arcadis also recently re-committed to its long-term future in Birmingham, with the opening of its brand new office at 103 Colmore Row. The office embraces the future of post-pandemic work, with a focus on sustainability, as well as spaces for quiet, contemplative work and flexible meeting areas. It provides a model of how work can be reimagined for the future.

Find out more

To find out more about the sustainability performances of 100 of the world’s cities download the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2022 here.