Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on February 2011

Illustration by Phil Couzens

Over the past year, Tokyo has been ranked as the most expensive, the most livable, and the most delicious city in Asia (by Mercer, Monocle and Michelin, respectively). Now it’s got another claim to supremacy: as the greenest major city in the whole of the Asia-Pacific region. A recent survey by consulting firm Solidiance ranked a selection of modern metropolises on factors including air quality, renewable energy policy, water management and public transport usage. The Japanese capital beat other contenders such as Seoul and Melbourne to the top spot, while Osaka placed fifth in the rankings. Tokyo was praised not only for its enviably low CO2 emissions, but also forward-thinking policies including an ambitious carbon trading scheme and the promotion of electric vehicles.

Source: www.solidiance.com