Rome has been classified number 60 out of 103 Italian cities for the environmental quality of life it offers, making it the most "liveable" major city in the country, according to the 2007 Urban Ecosystem report presented by Legambiente and financial newspaper Sole 24 Ore. Rome is ahead of Milan (62), Naples (67) and Turin (69).

Italy's capital is up eight positions from last year's ecosystem classification. Rome's mayor Walter Veltroni believes that this is due in large part to the measures implemented such as the limited traffic areas, extension of green areas within the metropolis and the new 200 methane buses now circulating on the city's roads.

However the amount of waste the city produces is a matter of concern. The average person in Rome produces 700 kilos of waste per year, according to the report. There hasn't been much growth in differentiated waste disposal, up from 13.4 to 15.4 per cent.

The most environmentally-friendly city was found to be Bolzano (1), followed by Mantova (2), La Spezia (3) and Parma (4).

At the bottom of the list were Ragusa (100), Catania (101), Taranto (102) and L'Aquila(103).