Sofia ranks 20th in the Clean Cities ranking which features 42 clean European cities. The capital is ahead of London, Madrid, Rome and Vienna.
The study was carried out by the environmental association Clean Cities Campaign, which unites more than 80 European NGOs, grassroots groups, and activists. The research ranks cities into four areas that local authorities can have impact upon:
- the availability of shared micromobility services (bikes, e-bikes and scooters for rent);
- public transport buses with zero emissions;
- availability of shared electric vehicle transport services and range;
- availability of public infrastructure for charging electric vehicles.
Sofia performs most strongly in the electrification of public transport and the entry of public vehicles with zero emissions – a category in which our city shares the 3rd position with Helsinki in the micro-ranking according to this criterion. Data provided by cities and operators ranges from 2021 to 2023 – a period in which Sofia has almost completely renewed all old vehicles with environmentally friendly vehicles.
The other area where the capital is performing well is the availability of shared electric cars as a service – private or municipal. Shared e-cars of a private company are available in Sofia, and its fleet is constantly growing (currently around 600 cars). Urban areas where cars can be parked or unlocked are also increasing.
The city also has a relatively good rating regarding the number of publicly accessible charging stations per 1,000 inhabitants, with the data recorded as of January 2023. The lowest rating is for the number of micromobility devices per 1,000 people – e-bicycles and electric scooters. Data reflects the situation in Q1 2023.
Source: Sofia Invest Agency