Sydney ranks among world’s top 10 sustainable destinations
Sydney achieves its highest-ever Global Destination Sustainability Index ranking, placing 1st in Asia Pacific and 7th globally.
Sydney has secured its highest-ever ranking in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index), scoring 87.06 and placing 7th globally and 1st in Asia Pacific among 81 participating destinations worldwide.
The result strengthens Sydney's appeal to international association conferences, corporate meetings and incentive programs seeking destinations with demonstrated sustainability performance and long-term legacy outcomes.
The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index) is the world's leading benchmarking and performance improvement program for visitor destinations, measuring environmental, social and economic sustainability, as well as destination management and supplier performance.
The achievement reflects the collective efforts of Business Events Sydney, Destination NSW and the City of Sydney to strengthen Sydney's sustainability credentials and support the delivery of responsible business events.
Commenting on Sydney’s highest-ever GDS-Index ranking, Business Events Sydney CEO, Amanda Lampe, said Sydney’s ability to generate long-term value without compromising sustainability is one of our greatest assets.
"International event organisers increasingly seek destinations that can demonstrate measurable sustainability outcomes. This result confirms Sydney's ability to deliver world-class business events while creating lasting economic and social value and supporting responsible environmental stewardship.
"We will continue to work in partnership with the City of Sydney and Destination NSW to strengthen Sydney's sustainability performance, support our industry partners in delivering responsible business events, and ensure the city remains a destination of choice for organisations seeking meaningful legacy outcomes alongside exceptional event experiences."
Destination NSW CEO, Karen Jones, said: “Destination NSW is proud to have collaborated with City of Sydney and Business Events Sydney on the city’s submission for the 2026 Global Destination Sustainability Index.
“Sustainability plays an integral role in achieving the goals of the NSW Visitor Economy Strategy 2035 and it’s exciting to see our beautiful Harbour City recognised for its efforts to improve its environmental performance.
“We look forward to continuing to work with industry to prioritise low-impact tourism, climate resilience and eco-friendly practices.”
For more information on the Global Destination Sustainability Index Top 40 Cities, read on: https://www.gds.earth/index/top-40-cities/.
Image: Tourism Australia
