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England’s Most and Least Eco-Friendly Areas Revealed

Byliam.hughes

Nov 20, 2021

Lanes Group plc has analysed data relating to the sustainability of every borough in England which has revealed the areas that are the most and least eco-friendly. 

We analysed data based on metrics such as energy efficiency, green infrastructure and waste levels as well as overall sustainability. We then compiled the figures for each of these metrics to create a total score for every borough and ranked all areas based on this.

Key Findings: 

  • Salford is the most sustainable area in England with the highest overall score 
  • South England is home to the majority of the most sustainable cities and boroughs, with eight London boroughs making it into the top 10 
  • Manchester is the most sustainable of the 10 biggest cities in the UK when comparing their overall scores, clearly indicating Greater Manchester’s high level of eco-awareness 
  • Stockton-on-Tees was the area with the lowest score, making it the least sustainable place in England 

Top 10 Most Sustainable Areas in England Revealed – Salford Tops the List

(1 being the most sustainable) 

  1. Salford 
  2. Tower Hamlets 
  3. Ealing 
  4. Camden 
  5. Oxford
  6. Manchester
  7. Hackney
  8. Southwark
  9. Colchester
  10. Greenwich 

10 Least Eco-Friendly Areas in England 

(1 being the least sustainable) 

    1. Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham
    2. Cheshire East, Cheshire
    3. Babergh, Suffolk 
    4. Eden, Cumbria 
    5. North West Leicestershire, Leicestershire 
    6. Rutland, East Midlands
    7. Allerdale, Cumbria
    8. South Lakeland, Cumbria 
    9. Ribble Valley, Lancashire 
    10. Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 

Most Sustainable Cities – Manchester Takes the Crown!

When we analysed the results for the UK’s 10 biggest cities (based on population) and compared their scores, we found out that Manchester is the most sustainable and Sunderland is the least out of these areas. 

  1. Manchester
  2. Bristol
  3. London
  4. Sheffield
  5. Newcastle
  6. Bradford
  7. Liverpool
  8. Leeds
  9. Birmingham
  10. Sunderland

Expert Tips for Improving Sustainability 

  • Reduce your energy consumption where possible to reduce your carbon footprint
  • Manage and dispose of waste appropriately 
  • Maintain your drains to prevent blockages and damage to the environment and wildlife – don’t pour certain substances down the sink! 
  • Reuse and recycle wherever possible 
  • Consider making small changes to your diet to lower your meat consumption
  • Minimise the use of plastic 
  • Walk more instead of driving, or take public transport 
  • Minimise food waste and don’t throw away leftovers – either freeze it or turn it into compost
  • Shop sustainably – look for brands that are eco-friendly 
  • Switch to eco-friendly cleaning products 

Lanes Group plc is dedicated to providing services across the nation that help to positively impact the environment. Here’s what they had to say on sustainability and their ongoing efforts towards a greener country: 

“At Lanes Group plc, we consistently monitor our carbon footprint to maintain an efficient, environmentally-friendly service utilising our resources and equipment. We always strive to have a positive impact on the lives of our people, the people we provide services for and the communities in which we operate, and all of these considerations have long been incorporated into our everyday activities and within our CSR policy,  always aim to encourage innovation in our people, and engage with all stakeholders and communities. By driving our business forward on this basis we continue to develop a thriving workplace and a sustainable future for everyone involved.” 

  • Paul McParland – HSEQ Manager at Lanes Group plc 

Methodology 

We analysed data from https://www.thrivingplacesindex.org/ focusing specifically on the ‘scores’ for a number of eco-friendly metrics, including overall sustainability, waste, energy usage and green infrastructure. 

We then added all of these scores together to create one figure to represent how ‘green’ each borough is. We focused on all of the boroughs in England, and then created a separate ranking for the UK’s 10 biggest cities (based on population) to see how their results compared.