THE city council has topped a list for the greenest authorities in the West Midlands.

Worcester City Council was ranked number one in a list of 30 authorities across the region for its low carbon emissions.

Findings by Migrate, an energy switching company, found the council came ahead of councils in Tamworth, Coventry, Birmingham and Dudley based on tonnes of CO2 per capita and a reduction in its carbon footprint.

The firm used data from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to rank the councils.

According to the research, the city council has reduced its per capita emissions by 38 per cent in the past ten years.

Total emissions fort the city fell by 34 per cent to 358 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide.

The city council also finished in the top 100 most improved authorities.

Councillor Marc Bayliss, leader of the city council, said: "We have invested in a new fleet of vehicles and the council is making sure it is as environmentally friendly as possible.

"The council is very keen to make sure it is doing its bit to encourage and support cutting emissions.

"This is very good news and something I am very pleased to be assisting with."

The council has recruited an environmental sustainability officer to support the authority and the rest of the city work towards going carbon neutral.

The council said it has also tackled climate change by buying electric vehicles, making the Guildhall more energy efficient, planting more than 4,000 trees in the last three years and installing solar panels and electric charging points at St Martin’s Gate car park.

Cllr Louis Stephen, leader of the city council’s Green group said: "It is fantastic news that Worcester is leading the pack across the whole of the West Midlands.

“The council have installed solar panels on St Martin's Gate car park and insulated the Guildhall but there is so much further to go.

“Earlier this year we passed a climate emergency motion with a deliberately tough target of being carbon neutral by 2030. Targets are necessary but the real work starts now to reduce emissions further.

“We'll need to see much more emphasis on alleviating fuel poverty with better insulated homes and more investment in public transport including buses to reach the targets."

Malvern Hills District Council ranked 290th out of 389 councils in a list of the greenest authorities, with Wychavon District Council ranking 298th.