Like in 2012, Copenhagen has been awarded the top spot as green city in the Global Green Economy Index 2014 (GGEI), ranked by a survey of global experts, reinforcing the continued strength of the Danish green brand.

Copenhagen tops the green city perception measure ahead of Amsterdam, Stockholm and Vancouver, with decisive results on all four GGEI dimensions of 'Leadership & Climate Change', 'Efficiency Sectors', 'Markets & Investment' and 'Environment & Natural Capital'. 

GGEI's city ranking may be instructive to leaders as it serves as an insightful measure shedding light on the relationship between city and national green reputations. In many countries – particularly smaller markets – the capital city is the main target for green investment, innovation and information exchange around the green economy.

- Watch video: Liveable Cities - A Danish Approach 

Countries in this category face a strategic messaging decision about whether to emphasise more the country or the city as the central actor in narratives around the green economy. A few places have managed to do both, with Denmark - Copenhagen and Sweden - Stockholm being vivid examples.

Denmark top market for green investments 

GGEI survey respondents continue to rank the United States and China, along with Denmark and Germany, as the top markets for green investments and the development of cleantech companies and products.

Transitioning to a green economy will require significant public and private investment, as well as a commitment from national leaders to promote the right mix of fiscal incentives to accelerate green growth. The 'Markets & Investment' dimension of the GGEI calculates national performance in the areas of renewable energy attractiveness, cleantech innovation and commercialization, and green investment facilitation by government affiliated bodies. It also calculates perceptions of these four main sub-categories, because investment decisions are often driven by the quality of market information available.

Denmark continues to maintain its leading position on the GGEI, both in terms of perception and performance. A true green country brand, Denmark relentlessly communicates its commitment to green growth through a variety of strategies and tactics, and global practitioners continue to signal the positive impact of these efforts. Denmark generally ranks higher in perception compared to other Nordic nations, particularly as a vital market for cleantech investment and innovation.

- Download the Global Green Economy Index 2014

About GGEI
This 4th edition of the GGEI is an in-depth look at how 60 countries perform in the global green economy, as well as how expert practitioners rank this performance. Like many indices, the GGEI is a communications tool, signaling to policy makers, international organizations, the private sector and citizens which countries are successfully orienting their economies toward greener growth pathways and which ones are not. Importantly, the GGEI also generates perception values, offering unique insights into how communications and information exchange can be leveraged to further advance green economic growth.

Source: Dual Citizen