Some Australian cities are ahead of others when it comes to sustainability, with one state setting the pace.
According to data from the comparison site iSelect, four of the top ten most sustainable cities in the country are in New South Wales, with three of those located in the state’s far north.
iSelect assessed seven key criteria across Australia’s 50 largest cities to determine which are leading—and which are lagging—in the push for environmental sustainability.
These criteria included carbon emissions, renewable energy usage, investment in clean energy, uptake of solar panels, and tree canopy coverage. Based on these metrics, Canberra is performing the strongest.
Canberra, along with nearby Queanbeyan, tops the sustainability index due to the region’s exceptionally low carbon emissions. The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) sources 100% of its electricity from renewable energy, compared to just 35% in New South Wales, earning a top score of 97.94 out of 100.
The ACT is among the few global cities powered entirely by renewable energy, representing a significant step forward for Australia’s environmental progress.
NSW cities like Port Macquarie, Ballina, and Coffs Harbour also feature in the top ten, each scoring over 80 on the sustainability index.
Port Macquarie ranks seventh with carbon emissions of 8.88 tCO₂e per person, a solar panel installation rate of 51.4%, and 2.61kW of solar capacity per household.
Ballina comes in ninth, slightly ahead in solar density at 57.6% and with lower per capita emissions at 8.56 tCO₂e. Coffs Harbour rounds out the list with 8.64 tCO₂e emissions and just under 50% solar coverage.
In terms of tree canopy, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour lead NSW with 66.3% and 65.5% coverage respectively, while Ballina falls behind at 43.5%.
Queensland’s Sunshine Coast leads in solar power capacity, with an average of 3.16kW per home. South Australia stands out for its clean energy potential, boasting 47.1 accredited renewable energy installers and designers per 100,000 people.
Cities in South Australia also secured second, third, and fourth spots in the sustainability rankings.
Hobart took fifth place, followed by the Sunshine Coast, Port Macquarie, Launceston, Ballina, and Coffs Harbour. Julia Paszka, utilities general manager at iSelect, noted that while some regions are making strong progress, others still lag behind.
“Our research shows commendable strides toward sustainability in various parts of Australia,” Paszka said.
“Major cities like Canberra, Adelaide, and Hobart performed exceptionally due to low emissions and high renewable energy usage.
“However, some areas are not progressing at the same rate. Darwin was identified as the least sustainable city in our index, primarily due to low investment in renewable energy and limited clean energy production.”
