The Environmental Sustainability Index was released today at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The ranking evaluates sanitation, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural policies, air pollution and 20 other metrics. This year’s index shows that the United States is now at the bottom of the Group of 8 industrialized nations, and ranks 39th of the 149 countries that were measured.
This report is an Initiative of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy (YCELP) and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) of Columbia University, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The Index, now in its tenth year, places more emphasis on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions this year.
The top 10 performing countries were Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Austria, France, Latvia, Costa Rica, Colombia and New Zealand. Switzerland’s heavy use of hydroelectric power and train transportation makes them the most greenhouse gas efficient economy.
India, China and Australia ranked among the bottom 25 countries, with China and Australia below the United States. The United States gets low scores in greenhouse gas emissions and loses points for persistent issues with smog.
The report also ranks countries by region, with New Zealand at the top for Asian-Pacific countries, Croatia at the top of Eastern Europe, Marutius for Africa, Costa Rica for the Americas. Canada also ranked high on the list for the Americas.
