The GDS Index annually ranks cities on tourism management, assessing Destination Management, Supplier, Social, and Environmental performance.
Glasgow has been named the fifth most sustainable city in the world in the 2025 Global Destination Sustainability Index.(Image: Getty Images)
A Scottish city has been recognised as one of the planet’s leading sustainable urban destinations. The annual benchmarking programme assesses how destinations manage tourism to enhance visitor experience while balancing environmental and community needs.
Compiled from data submitted by destination management organisations and city authorities, the 2025 Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index evaluates performance across four pillars: Destination Management, Supplier, Social and Environmental.
The framework aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and GSTC Destination Criteria and is reviewed each year by an expert Technical Advisory Committee.
Glasgow’s fifth-place finish came with an overall score of 86 percent, placing it among a Top 10 dominated by Northern European cities led by Helsinki, Gothenburg and Copenhagen.
Glasgow ranked fourth among large cities in the “Leaders by City Size” category.(Image: Getty Images)
Notably, Glasgow was the only destination in the Top 10 to improve in all four assessment categories this year, an indicator of broad-based progress rather than gains in a single area.
The report highlights additional areas where Glasgow excelled. In the “Leaders by City Size” table, Glasgow ranked fourth among large cities (population 500,000–1.5 million).
It also placed fourth globally in the Supplier category with a score of 91.03, reflecting the strength of third-party sustainability certifications and practices across hotels, venues, agencies and attractions.
Glasgow was the only Top 10 city to improve in all four assessment categories, showing overall progress.(Image: Getty Images)
Participation in the 2025 programme spanned 81 destinations worldwide, with the threshold for a Top 40 place set at 69.72 percent. The Index notes that overall performance tightened this year as more cities closed the gap on the frontrunners.
The GDS Index positions itself as a “trusted performance improvement programme” that measures, benchmarks and accelerates destinations’ regenerative tourism strategies, a role the movement’s leadership argues is increasingly vital amid climate and regulatory pressures.
“It’s not just about riding the wave, it’s about learning how to read it, shape it, and make it count,” said Guy Bigwood, Chief Changemaker at the GDS Movement.
Regionally, Glasgow features among Northern Europe’s top sustainability leaders alongside Aalborg and the Nordic trio that top the global list.
The Index also records strong momentum in Destination Management and Supplier performance across the cohort, indicating that governance, sector-wide climate action and supply-chain certification are becoming core to competitive positioning.
Helsinki has retained its title as the world’s most sustainable city for a second consecutive year. The Finnish capital generates 54 percent of its energy from renewable sources, and all its venues are sustainability certified.
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The city aims to cut its carbon footprint by 80 percent over the next five years, while scoring highly on social inclusion, ensuring accessibility for most visitors.
According to the GDS Index, Helsinki’s ambition is to lead globally in sustainable tourism and events, a goal it appears to have already achieved.
Gothenburg and Copenhagen held onto second and third place from 2024. Gothenburg, which led the index from 2016 until last year, has 100 percent sustainability-certified venues and 60 percent renewable energy, but narrowly trailed Helsinki in social progress.
Copenhagen recorded the highest environmental score among the top three, with 69 percent renewable energy and a pledge to eliminate carbon entirely by 2030, though it was let down by supplier-side performance.