Gothenburg has been ranked number one in the Global Destination Sustainability Index from 2016 to 2023 (with the exception of 2020, when no index was published).

Participation has steadily increased over the years, and since 2023 more than one hundred destinations worldwide have taken part. In 2024 and 2025, Gothenburg placed second, after Helsinki.

The GDS-Index is a comprehensive assessment of how well destinations perform across the three dimensions of sustainability. It requires broad collaboration within and between the tourism industry and the municipality. The scoring is based on around 80 criteria, including greenhouse gas emissions, waste management and biodiversity, as well as safety and security, accessibility, inclusion, the share of sustainability-certified hotels and restaurants, and the existence of sustainability strategies among both public and private stakeholders.