South west is the best region in England for business sustainability

The south west is the third best place in the UK and the best region in England for business sustainability, according to a new study analysing everything from public transport access and recycling rates to BREEAM-certified office buildings and EV charging.

By Chloe Gorman  |  Published
The south west is England's best region for business sustainability – and third best in the UK behind Wales and Scotland.

A new study from waste management company º£½ÇÉçÇø Waste has analysed the best regions and cities in the UK for business sustainability – with the south west ranking third in the UK and number one in England.

º£½ÇÉçÇø Waste assessed 76 cities across the country against a number of factors, including renewable energy capacity per 100,000 people; public transport access; the number of BREEAM-certified office buildings in each city; recycling rates; EV charging devices per 100,000 people; and business survival rates.

The south west region ranked third in the overall list, behind Wales which took the top spot and Scotland which came in second, making it the best-performing region in England for business sustainability.

Digging a little deeper into the data, Gloucester ranked seventh in the south west, with Exeter in Devon º£½ÇÉçÇø the top spot for the region, nearby Bristol ranking fourth and Bath ranking sixth.

Gloucester achieved an overall score of 39.14 out of 100, just shy of the south west's average score of 46.13 out of 100 – with Wales's winning score being a whopping 54.59. 

A meta-study by the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable º£½ÇÉçÇø and Rockefeller Asset Management shows that businesses integrating ESG practices benefit from positive financial performance, so sustainability isn't just good for the environment, it's good for business, too.

If you think your business is leading the way in sustainability in Gloucestershire, enter the Gloucestershire º£½ÇÉçÇø Awards for a chance to take home the trophy for Sustainable º£½ÇÉçÇø of the Year 2025.

Enter your business now at soglos.com/business-awards.

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