DURHAM has been hailed as the UK’s greenest city in Solar Centre’s research based on 10 green criteria including waste management, air quality, carbon emissions and green spaces.
Durham topped the study that compared 59 cities, with Swansea ranked as second and Newcastle Upon Tyne as third.
Councillor John Clare, climate change champion for Durham County Council, commented on the news: “We are pleased to receive this recognition for our work to combat climate change, which is a testimony to the amazing work of the council’s environment and low carbon teams.
“Creating a clean and green county is at the core of the council’s Climate Action Plan and we will continue to build on these promising figures.
“We declared a Climate Emergency in February 2019, which committed us to an 80 per cent reduction in council emissions by 2030 and to making the county carbon neutral by 2050.
“We are constantly implementing ways to tackle climate change from innovative angles.
“This includes helping businesses and residents become more energy efficient, and integrating clean technology in our county’s infrastructure.”
A spokesperson for the County Council stated that climate change has been at the top of their agenda, and 47 per cent carbon emissions reduction has been achieved between 2009 and 2019.
Another significant factor was the score for air quality, with Durham holding the best score compared to other cities.
Availability of green spaces and parks also boosted Durham’s overall ranking.
The ‘UK’s Greenest Cities’ list is available here
