A new study looks at the greenest cities in the UK, ranking them on air quality, household recycling, access to green spaces and more.

Milton Keynes is the South East's greenest city and 3rd in the UK, according to CoworkingCafe's new study of 94 urban areas. It overtakes Reading, Oxford and London. It is also well clear of its neighbours Bedford (72nd), Northampton (87th) and Aylesbury (89th).

To pinpoint the UK cities that have taken the most steps toward greener, cleaner living, CoworkingCafe looked at nine key sustainability metrics, including carbon emissions per capita, air quality, household recycling, the density of rooftop solar installations, and access to green space.

It also factored in full-fibre broadband coverage, as the digital backbone behind the smart energy and waste systems that help cities cut consumption and emissions.

Milton Keynes is known for its strong recycling systems, green spaces and innovative technology - but exactly where does it rank among the UK's greenest cities?

placeholder image — Milton Keynes is known for its strong recycling systems, green spaces and innovative technology - but exactly where does it rank among the UK's greenest cities?

Milton Keynes stood out as a car-friendly city going electric. Two in five local cars are hybrid or electric, the 4th-highest share nationally, just as ministers review EV targets until October 23. The city has 328.6 public chargers per 100,000 residents (5th), just behind London and more than double Bedford and Northampton. Its grid layout as a planned new town has long made it an easy testbed.

Among England's recycling leaders. Households recycle 51.9% of their waste, the 5th-best rate in the UK and 2nd-best in England after Bournemouth. That is well ahead of Oxford (43%) and London (33%), and it gives the city a strong start as England's Simpler Recycling rules bed in.

Built for the smart-city era. Full-fibre broadband reaches 95.7% of premises (4th), compared with 76% in London and 38.2% in Oxford. Solar uptake of 67.1 installations per 1,000 households ranks 16th.

But one measurement did let the new city down. Emissions of 3 tonnes of CO2 per resident rank 52nd, a legacy of car-oriented design. This is the gap to close as the city works toward its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030.

Nationally, Exeter took the top spot as the greenest city, with a lower CO2 rate of 2.33 tonnes per resident, and a strong 101.5 solar PV installations per 1,000 homes (compared to Milton Keynes 67.1). Cambridge came in second place, just before Milton Keynes, with 290 EV chargers per 1,000 people and 63.1% of jobs being low-emission.