Galway businesses are knocking it out of the park when it comes to sustainability, landing the City Of Tribes a coveted spot on the 2018 Global Destination Sustainability (GDS) Index.

The GDS Index is a rating system designed to recognise responsible business practices, particularly in the tourism and events industry. And all of Galway’s hard work has most definitely been paying off as it’s the only Irish destination to rank in the top 20.     Places are profiled and compared on their social and environmental sustainability strategies, policies and performance. Gothenburg came out on top, closely followed by Copenhagen in second place and Reykjavik in third. Other Irish cities and regions recognised on the list were Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Kerry.   A panel of expert speakers, organised by the Galway Convention Bureau at the start of September, revealed that businesses such as the Connacht Hotel managed to increase their recycling rates by 56% year-on-year.   This led to a decrease in the number of disposable cups produced, with it dropping by a whopping 75%. Impressive stuff. It just goes to show that even small changes can make all the difference.   READ NEXT: Boojum Is Running An Unreal Competition To Pay Your Rent For A Year