1. Freiburg, Germany
The solar capital of Europe. Almost 50 per cent of the city's electricity is generated by combined heating and power plants, and solar panels are everywhere. Pride of place is the Heliotrope - a rotating solar 'tree-house' that follows the sun. freiburg.de
2. Copenhagen, Denmark
Here, locals clock up over a million kilometres of cycling every day, the centre is packed with restaurants that serve local food and the city is home to Crown Plaza Copenhagen Towers, where electricity generated by guests cycling on the gym's exercise bikes contributes to the hotel's energy supply. visitcopenhagen.com/green
3. Amsterdam, the Netherlands
The city has a network of trams, metro, buses and cycle lanes and more than 30 parks. Noordermarkt is the city's main farmers' market and De Kas is the renowned organic restaurant. iamsterdam.com
4. Bristol, UK
The UK's first official cycling city is home to Sustrans, the sustainable transport charity, the Soil Association, whose organic food festival is one of the largest in Europe, and Bordeaux Quay, the award-winning eco-friendly restaurant. bristolgreencapital.org
5. Sydney, Australia
The city's sustainability plan for 2030 includes a light rail loop to reduce traffic and a walking and cycling network linking streets, parks and open spaces. cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/2030
Richard Hammond is the author of Clean Breaks and founder of greentraveller.co.uk.
