SOUTHAMPTON has been named as one of the top 10 most eco-friendly cities in the UK.

The Hampshire city has been ranked the ninth most eco-friendly city in the UK.

A new study of over 2,000 households suggests the city is one of the most environmentally-conscious urban centres in the country.

According to the study residents have the lowest CO2 emissions scores for their homes and nearly a third of people limit their use of single-use plastic – which is above the national average.

The new survey was based on factors including household recycling and emissions, smart meters, commuting methods and attitudes to being eco-friendly.

The research by car manufacturer Honda revealed the coronavirus lockdown could have been a reason for people changing and re-thinking their habits towards the environment.

Southampton City Council says it is “committed to leading the way in making the city a cleaner, greener, healthier, more attractive place to live, work and visit.”

The council launched the Green City Charter in 2019 in a bid to tackle environmental issues.

Under this charter it is hoped to make the city carbon neutral by 2030.

The council also pledges to protect the natural environment, improve the quality of life for residents, promote sustainable travel, reduce emissions, enhance renewable energy and support the generation of sustainable energy that does not comprise local air quality.

However, A CONTROVERSIAL pop-up cycle lane on Bassett Avenue has recently been removed following “a steady increase in traffic”.

It c as concerns were raised over the measures and the council’s Green Transport Recovery Plan was “called back in” to be scrutinised further.

Rebecca Stead, head of automobile at Honda UK said: “With global warming and climate change being one of the biggest concerns to face our planet, there is an ever-growing importance to address what we do now to protect the world we live in. We want to celebrate the people in Britain who are thinking of the environment and trying to be more eco-friendly in their everyday lives. We must help the environment and we want to champion those that are doing this. We hope this research will also encourage more people to do the same and take any step they can – big and small – to protect the planet.”