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Ranking the greenest countries in the world

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Ranking the greenest countries in the world

Denmark tops the ranking of the most sustainable countries in the world according to the latest data from the Environmental Performance Index

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) evaluates and ranks 180 countries on 40 performance indicators across 11 categories covering environmental health and ecosystem vitality.

The aim is to gauge, at a national scale, how close countries are to meeting the environmental policy goals outlined in the United Nations 2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement.

What is the Environmental Performance Index?

The EPI has been running biennially since 2006. It was preceded by the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), published between 1999 and 2005. Both were developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the international non-governmental World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

Wind turbines above a green field
westudio/Shutterstock The EPI assesses if countries are meeting their environmental goals

The EPI report has become the world’s premier framework for global environmental policy analysis. The report is compiled every two years using the following categories to create an EPI score out of 100 for every nation.

  1. Climate Change
  2. Air Quality
  3. Sanitation & Drinking Water
  4. Heavy Metals
  5. Waste Management
  6. Biodiversity & Habitat
  7. Ecosystem Services
  8. Fisheries
  9. Acid Rain
  10. Agriculture
  11. Water Resource

The report found that global progress to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions remain insufficient to meet the net-zero GHGs by the mid-century target established in the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact.

A map of the most sustainable countries in the world
EPI Mapped: the most sustainable countries in the world

Using emissions trajectory from the last 10 years as a basis for projecting 2050 emissions, the EPI researchers forecast that the vast majority of countries will not achieve the net-zero goal. A number of nations – including the USA – are projected to fall far short of the target.

“Major countries have much more work to do than they
may have realized if the world is to avoid the potentially devastating impacts of climate change.”

Martin Wolf, EPI Principal Investigator

Only a handful of countries – notably Denmark and the UK – are presently projected to reach GHG neutrality by 2050. The countries performing well on the net-zero GHG in 2050 metric have enacted some of the world’s most ambitious climate policies.

10 most sustainable countries

Denmark is the most sustainable country in the world. Denmark has set a national target of reducing 2030 emissions by 70% compared to the 1990 level and has adopted an exhaustive policy agenda to deliver on this commitment, including recently expanded GHG taxes.

Denmark is the greenest country in the world
Sina Ettmer Photography/Shutterstock Denmark is the most sustainable country in the world

Other high-scoring nations include the UK and Finland, both of which scored well in the climate change category, their performances driven by policies that have substantially cut GHGs in recent years. Sweden and Switzerland, also among the top countries, performed well in terms of air and water quality.

  1. Denmark
  2. UK
  3. Finland
  4. Malta
  5. Sweden
  6. Luxembourg
  7. Slovenia
  8. Austria
  9. Switzerland
  10. Iceland

Lagging behind its peers, the USA was ranked 43rd. This relatively poor performance reflects inaction in Washington on critical issues such as climate change; the rollback of environmental protections during the Trump administration; and the country’s temporary withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement.

Climate demonstrators in the US
Sundry Photography/Shutterstock The USA performs poorly compared to other industrialised nations

While the data suggests the USA is improving air quality and marine protected areas, the ranking still puts it behind most industrialised Western democracies, including France (12th), Germany (13th), Australia (17th), Italy (23rd) and Japan (25th).

10 least sustainable countries

India is the least sustainable country in the world. Generally, the lowest scores overall went to countries struggling with civil unrest and other crises (such as Myanmar or Haiti) or nations that have prioritised economic growth over environmental sustainability, such as India, Vietnam, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Delhi in thick smog
Amit kg/Shutterstock Delhi in India is the world’s most polluted capital city
  1. India
  2. Myanmar
  3. Viet Nam
  4. Bangladesh
  5. Pakistan
  6. Papua New Guinea
  7. Liberia
  8. Haiti
  9. Turkey
  10. Sudan

India, with its markedly poor air quality and quickly rising emissions,
is ranked last for the first time in the history of the index. Poor air quality and growing GHG emissions continue to impact China, placing the nation 160th out of 180 countries.

complete rankings

Countries are scored and ranked on their environmental performance using the most recent year of data available. The ranking also includes how scores have changed over the previous decade.

Some nations are missing due to insufiicient data.

Rank Country EPI Score 10-year change
1 Denmark 77.9 14.9
2 UK 77.7 23.0
3 Finland 76.5 21.0
4 Malta 75.2 25.4
5 Sweden 72.7 15.8
6 Luxembourg 72.3 13.5
7 Slovenia 67.3 8.6
8 Austria 66.5 7.2
9 Switzerland 65.9 8.2
10 Iceland 62.8 4.4
11 Netherlands 62.6 5.9
12 France 62.5 6.4
13 Germany 62.4 2.2
14 Estonia 61.4 6.1
15 Latvia 61.1 8.2
16 Croatia 60.2 17.2
17 Australia 60.1 10.3
18 Slovakia 60 3.2
19 Czech Rep 59.9 5.2
20 Norway 59.3 5.8
21 Belgium 58.2 6.1
22 Cyprus 58 6.0
23 Italy 57.7 6.0
24 Ireland 57.4 2.5
25 Japan 57.2 3.2
26 New Zealand 56.7 -0.4
27 Spain 56.6 7.3
28 Bahamas 56.2 9.8
28 Greece 56.2 4.3
30 Romania 56 5.3
31 Lithuania 55.9 3.2
32 Seychelles 55.6 7.0
33 Hungary 55.1 2.0
34 North Macedonia 54.3 3.6
35 Botswana 54 8.2
36 Barbados 53.2 12.7
36 St Vincent & Gren 53.2 8.9
38 Sao Tome & Prin 52.9 7.0
39 Antigua & Barbuda 52.4 9.7
39 UAE 52.4 15.9
41 Bulgaria 51.9 4.6
42 Dominica 51.2 10.2
43 USA 51.1 3.3
44 Namibia 50.9 16.4
44 Singapore 50.9 3.7
46 Poland 50.6 NA
47 Panama 50.5 9.9
48 Portugal 50.4 -1.6
49 Belize 50 -2.1
49 Canada 50 4.0
51 Gabon 49.7 -0.3
52 Ukraine 49.6 6.2
53 StLucia 49.4 0.3
54 Kiribati 49 4.8
55 Belarus 48.5 3.5
56 Armenia 48.3 4.8
57 Israel 48.2 1.9
58 Grenada 47.9 7.1
59 Trinidad & Tobago 47.8 19
60 Cuba 47.5 6.8
60 Djibouti 47.5 12.9
62 Albania 47.1 9.9
63 Montenegro 46.9 8.5
63 South Korea 46.9 1.8
65 Chile 46.7 6.8
66 Ecuador 46.5 9.2
67 Venezuela 46.4 0.2
68 Costa Rica 46.3 4.0
69 Zimbabwe 46.2 -0.7
70 Suriname 45.9 -8
71 Brunei Darussalam 45.7 7.4
72 Jamaica 45.6 -2.0
73 Mexico 45.5 12.4
74 Taiwan 45.3 7.0
75 Central African Rep 44.9 -0.7
75 Eswatini 44.9 1.5
77 Equatorial Guinea 44.8 15.3
77 Mauritius 44.8 10.0
79 Serbia 43.9 8.5
80 Tonga 43.8 -3.0
81 Afghanistan 43.6 23.9
81 Brazil 43.6 5.4
81 Jordan 43.6 7.8
84 Moldova 42.7 -4.8
85 Bhutan 42.5 -7.9
85 Comoros 42.5 1
87 Colombia 42.4 -0.5
87 Kuwait 42.4 15.2
89 Dominican Rep 42.2 -3.1
90 Bahrain 42 5.7
91 Cabo Verde 41.9 4.8
92 Argentina 41.1 7.8
93 Kazakhstan 40.9 11.8
93 Paraguay 40.9 -6
95 El Salvador 40.8 7.6
96 Tunisia 40.7 8.1
97 Malawi 40.6 -4.5
98 Guinea-Bissau 40.2 3.5
99 Bolivia 40.1 0.6
99 Rep of Congo 40.1 6.2
101 Peru 39.8 -0.4
102 Bosnia & Herz 39.4 10.0
103 Georgia 39.1 2.6
104 Azerbaijan 38.6 -1.3
105 Guyana 38.5 -6.1
106 Zambia 38.4 -6.9
107 Uzbekistan 38.2 1.9
108 Thailand 38.1 7.2
109 Saudi Arabia 37.9 9.5
110 Nicaragua 37.7 -0.9
110 Niger 37.7 -2.8
112 Russia 37.5 1.6
113 Maldives 37.4 9.0
113 Micronesia 37.4 -5.9
113 Uruguay 37.4 3.3
116 South Africa 37.2 10.1
117 Tajikistan 37.1 -1.6
118 Turkmenistan 37 8.9
119 DR Congo 36.9 -0.2
119 Vanuatu 36.9 -9.2
121 Honduras 36.5 7.2
122 Gambia 36.4 5.6
122 Samoa 36.4 -7.4
124 Marshall Islands 36.2 0.7
125 Uganda 35.8 3.1
126 Kyrgyzstan 35.7 1.2
127 Burkina Faso 35.5 2.0
127 Egypt 35.5 6.5
129 Timor-Leste 35.1 -0.3
130 Malaysia 35 10.3
130 Solomon Islands 35 0.8
132 Sri Lanka 34.7 -2.6
133 Iran 34.5 6.9
134 Tanzania 34.2 3.4
135 Togo 34 -2.4
136 Senegal 33.9 -0.9
137 Qatar 33 -2.3
138 Cote d’Ivoire 32.8 -8.2
138 Rwanda 32.8 -4.2
140 Sierra Leone 32.7 7.2
141 Lesotho 32.3 1.4
142 Lebanon 32.2 -4.7
143 Ethiopia 31.8 3.6
144 Eritrea 31.7 -5.5
144 Mozambique 31.7 0.6
146 Guinea 31.6 0.2
147 Fiji 31.3 -3.7
148 Kenya 30.8 -1.8
149 Laos 30.7 -1.3
149 Oman 30.7 6.4
151 Angola 30.5 0.2
151 Burundi 30.5 -13
153 Cameroon 30.2 -2.0
154 Cambodia 30.1 2.0
155 Algeria 29.6 -4.0
155 Benin 29.6 -1.6
155 Mongolia 29.6 -5.2
158 Philippines 28.9 -7.5
159 Mali 28.5 -1.8
160 China 28.4 11.4
160 Morocco 28.4 2.6
162 Nepal 28.3 -10.3
162 Nigeria 28.3 -6.1
164 Indonesia 28.2 4.1
165 Chad 28.1 NA
165 Mauritania 28.1 -3.3
167 Guatemala 28 -3.0
167 Madagascar 28 -5.4
169 Iraq 27.8 -5.3
170 Ghana 27.7 -6.1
171 Sudan 27.6 1.7
172 Turkey 26.3 -0.5
173 Haiti 26.1 2.4
174 Liberia 24.9 -4.0
175 Papua New Guinea 24.8 0.2
176 Pakistan 24.6 1.4
177 Bangladesh 23.1 -1.9
178 Viet Nam 20.1 -0.6
179 Myanmar 19.4 -3.8
180 India 18.9 -0.6

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