How environmentally friendly are you? What about your country or nation? Yale University developed the Environmental Performance Index, also known as EPI. It is used to measure sustainability and ecosystem vitality based on the set policies.
This index uses 32 indicators in 11 categories to calculate a country's environmental health. Some of these indicators include water quality and air quality. For each of the indicators, a score is given. The final score is formed from an aggregate of the indicators. Using this method, more than one country can rank first.
In 2020, Denmark ranked first overall, especially due to its efforts in slowing down CO2 emissions. They ranked high for wastewater treatment and sanitation too. One of its islands relies solely on renewable energy, such as solar energy, which is incredibly rare! There is also a focus on green transportation like cycling.
Luxembourg came in at second place. This country went from one of the highest CO2 producers in 2010 to one of the countries with the lowest CO2 emissions. Luxembourg also wants to reduce its sale of the non-renewable resource, petrol.
Switzerland usually scores high and lands a spot in the top five. In 2020, its score ranked in third place. This country does not have a landfill. Switzerland incinerates all the trash with a small amount of air pollution. There is also a plant that removes CO2 from the air. This plant is able to remove CO2 equivalent to the amount released by 200 cars in a year. Now that is impressive!
Coming in at fourth place is the United Kingdom. It has one of the lowest CO2 growth rates. The UK also ranked number one for clean drinking water. We can work towards sustainability by being more conscious of where we spend our money. In the UK, one out of four consumers considers sustainability when making a purchase.
France comes in at fifth place. There is a law that states new buildings in commercial zones need to have their rooftops at least partly covered with vegetation or solar panels. There is also a focus on bike lane development which will make cycling even more convenient.
There are countries that did not rank very high. Liberia came in at the bottom of the rankings in relation to sustainability. This is largely due to pollution and deforestation. However, Liberia may not stay at the bottom for long as an environmental group has been initiated with the goal to help locals protect their surroundings.
Myanmar also ranked low on the index. Not only is the country dealing with deforestation, but endangered animals are also being hunted. The country is heading toward sustainability by turning litter into art.
Going green doesn't just benefit our environment. When policies and businesses encompass sustainable ethos, the economy along with its people do well too. Even with countries consistently ranking as the greenest, there is still much to improve. As of now, there isn't a country that is on a fully sustainable trajectory yet.
Environmental policies vary from country to country and are widely divergent. But there is a link between positive results and the country's wealth. The results show that there is a wealth disparity between the top 40 green countries and those that ranked lower. Economic wealth makes it possible for countries to focus and put money into creating policies that lead to greener outcomes. Achieving sustainability doesn't mean giving up economic gains and vice versa. However, not all countries with similar economic wealth ranked comparatively. Some countries with a similar GDP per capita to others underperformed.
What is the point of giving these countries a score? There is a scorecard provided by the EPI that showcases leaders and laggards in environmental achievements. It gives directions to countries that aspire for sustainability. EPI indicators also provide data, and tell us about existing problems. Once the issues are identified, goals can be set. The progress can be tracked to make sure that the goals could be achieved. All of this helps policymakers identify the best practices for a more viable and sustainable future.