Environmental Performance Index – An Overview

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of quantifying and numerically marking the environmental performance of a state’s policies. This index was begun from the Pilot Environmental Performance Index, first launched in 2002, and created to increase the environmental targets set before in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The EPI was preceded by the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), launched between 1999 and 2005. Both indices were originated by Yale University (Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy) and Columbia University (Center for International Earth Science Information Network) in association with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The ESI was created to assess environmental sustainability relative to the paths of other countries. Because of the shift in focus by the teams creating the ESI, the EPI uses outcome-oriented indicators, then functioning as a benchmark index that can be more effortlessly used by policy makers, environmental scientists, advocates and the general public. Other leading indices like the Global Green Economy Index (GGEI) offers an integrated measure of the environmental, social and economic dynamics of national economies. The GGEI uses EPI data for the environmental dimension of the index by also offering a performance assessment of efficiency sectors (e.g. transport, buildings, energy), investment, green innovation and national leadership around climate change.

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The Environmental Performance Index for the year 2022 ranks 180 countries. The top five countries are Denmark, United Kingdom, Finland, Malta and Sweden.

Methodology

EPI calculation variables vary frequently as can be seen below. This should be taken into account when observing country performance through numerous reports, as it can lead to score and ranking changes seen just on methodology modification.

2020 variables

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2018 variables

The variables in 2018 are largely similar to those from 2016, but have changed in details and some weights. Notably environmental Health is now weighted at 40% and ecosystem vitality at 60%.^[6]

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EPI scores

2020

The Environmental Performance Index for the year 2020 ranks 180 countries.

Top 100 countries with their score

2018

Rank	Country	EPI score	Environmental Health(40% weight)	Ecosystem Vitality(60% weight)
1	Switzerland	87.42	93.57	83.32
2	France	83.95	95.71	76.11
3	Denmark	81.60	98.20	70.53
4	Malta	80.90	93.80	72.30
5	Sweden	80.51	94.41	71.24
6	United Kingdom	79.89	96.03	69.13
7	Luxembourg	79.12	95.07	68.48
8	Austria	78.97	86.38	74.03
9	Ireland	78.77	95.92	67.34
10	Finland	78.64	99.35	64.83
11	Iceland	78.57	98.41	65.34
12	Spain	78.39	94.21	67.85
13	Germany	78.37	88.68	71.50
14	Norway	77.49	97.86	63.91
15	Belgium	77.38	89.37	69.39
16	Italy	76.96	85.88	71.02
17	New Zealand	75.96	95.96	62.63
18	Netherlands	75.46	92.26	64.25
19	Israel	75.01	94.14	62.25
20	Japan	74.69	92.99	62.48
21	Australia	74.12	97.95	58.23
22	Greece	73.60	91.03	61.98
23	Taiwan	72.84	69.85	74.83
24	Cyprus	72.60	87.96	62.37
25	Canada	72.18	97.51	55.29
26	Portugal	71.91	90.47	59.53
27	United States of America	71.19	93.91	56.04
28	Slovakia	70.60	63.87	75.08
29	Lithuania	69.33	72.57	67.18
30	Bulgaria	67.85	69.60	66.68

The World Economic Forum published the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022 recently, on June 6, 2022, ranking 180 countries in terms of climate change performance, environmental health and ecosystem vitality. These metrics display how near countries are to meeting stated environmental policy objectives on a national basis. India was ranked last out of 180 countries evaluated by US-based institutes for their environmental performance, which has been censured by India.

Who calculates this index, and how? What issues has India flagged? What are the key highlights of the report? Find all the answers to these questions in this article. The reports, policies and indexes are a very essential part of the CSE syllabus. Aspirants must look into such terms while preparing for prelims and mains.

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About Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

• What is the Environmental Performance Index?
  • The EPI is a global rating system that ranks nations based on their environmental health.
  • The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) offers a data-driven assessment of the global level of sustainability.
  • EPI indicators aids to identify issues, define goals, follow trends, understand outcomes and identify effective policy methods.
  • Good data and fact-based research may also assist policymakers narrow their goals, increase relationships with important stakeholders and maximise the return on environmental spending.
  • The EPI is an effective policy instrument for attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals and bringing society toward a more sustainable future.
• Who publishes the Environmental Performance Index?
  • The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a biennial index, published by the World Economic Forum in 2002 as the Environmental Sustainability Index in collaboration with the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy and the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network.
  • This index was first launched in 2002 and developed to increase the environmental targets set forth in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
• What does the Environmental Performance Index measure?
  • The EPI ranks 180 nations using 40 performance indicators across 11 issue areas on the following policy objectives:
    • climate change performance
    • environmental health
    • ecosystem vitality
  • These indicators shows how near countries are to meeting specified environmental policy objectives on a national basis.
  • The EPI offers a scorecard that realizes environmental leaders and laggards and provides practical suggestions for nations seeking to come toward a more sustainable future.
• What is India’s rank on Environmental Performance Index?
  • India is ranked 180th among 180 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022.
  • India is ranked after Pakistan, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Myanmar, with a trifling score of 18.9.
  • According to EPI, India also ranks poorly in terms of rule of law, corruption control, and government performance.
  • “India slips to the bottom of the rankings for the first time, with increasingly hazardous air quality and quickly rising greenhouse gas emissions,” the report stated.
  • With a score of 27.6, India was ranked 168th in EPI-2020.

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Significance of Environmental Performance Index

• The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) statistics exhibit that financial resources, excellent governance, human development and regulatory quality, all play a part in increasing a country’s sustainability. EPI assists decision-makers to recognise all these factors that give to top-tier performance.
• By highlighting these connections, the EPI gives to the development of sustainable development in support of a more ecologically secure and equitable future.
• Overall EPI rankings exhibit which nations are doing the greatest job of leading the environmental concerns that each country experiences.
• Drilling down into the data to evaluate performance by issue category, policy objective, peer group and nation offers policymakers with even more value. This granular insight and comparative perspective can assist in understanding the drivers of environmental development and increasing policy decisions.

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Key Highlights of Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022

• Denmark tops the 2022 rankings, attributing to outstanding performance across essentially all EPI-tracked problems, involving considerable leadership in efforts to increase a clean energy future and sustainable agriculture.
• The United Kingdom and Finland come in second and third, respectively, with strong marks for lessening greenhouse gas emissions in latest years.
• The US ranks 20th out of 22 rich democracies in the Global West and 43rd worldwide. According to the report, this relatively low ranking shows the rollback of environmental protections during the Trump administration.
• Russia came in at number 112 on the list and China is ranked 161st, with an EPI score of 28.4.
• India (18.9), Myanmar (19.4), Vietnam (20.1), Bangladesh (23.1), and Pakistan had the lowest ratings (24.6). According to the report, the most of low-scoring countries have prioritised economic expansion above sustainability or are dealing with civil upheaval and other crises.
• The report also stated that just a few nations, like Denmark and the United Kingdom, are currently on track to achieve greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050.
• EPI projections shows that just four countries-  China, India, the US and Russia- will account for over 50 per cent of residual global greenhouse gas emissions in 2050 if current situation stay back.

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Environmental Performance Index 2022

The table below will better elaborate on the performance of countries in Southern Asia in the EPI among Asian countries:

The top 10 performer countries on the Environmental Performance Index 2022 is given below:

Concerns Raised by India on EPI 2022

On India’s 180th ranking, the Government of India has acknowledged by saying that some indicators are generalized and based on surmises and unscientific methods. Some concerns raised by India are:

• Projected GHG Emissions Levels in 2050 the new indicator in the Climate Policy Objective is computed using the average rate of change in emissions over the last ten years instead of modelling that takes into account a larger time period, the level of renewable energy capacity and usage, extra carbon sinks, energy efficiency and so on in the individual nations.
• The equity principle is provided relatively less weightage in the form of statistics such as GHG emission per capita and GHG emission intensity trend. Similarly the CBDR-RC concept is rarely represented in the index’s composition.
• The country’s forests and wetlands are major carbon sinks that have been overlooked while computing EPI 2022’s predicted GHG emissions trajectory up to 2050.
• The weight of indicators in which the country did well has been dropped, and the reasons for the change in weight assignment are not specified in the report.
• Indicators like agricultural biodiversity, soil health, food loss and waste are not included, in spite of the fact that these are crucial for developing nations with significant agrarian populations.
• In the present computation, historical data on the lowest emission trajectory was neglected.

India’s Ranking in Environment Performance Index (2018, 2020)

As said before, India ranked 168 out of 180 countries in 2020. Eventhough it was an enhancement from 177 in 2018, it lagged behind other South Asian Nations with the exception of Afghanistan. The table mentioned will better elaborate on India’s performance in the EPI among Asian countries

Environment Performance Index 2020

The country needs to focus on a wide spectrum of sustainability issues, with a high priority to critical issues such as air and water quality, biodiversity and climate change.

The top countries ranking high in the EPI are as follows:

CountryRanking

The rankings of the 2018 Environment Performance Index of SAARC nations are given below

Environment Performance Index 2018

The top countries ranked high in the EPI 2018 are as follows:

Conclusion

India ranked lowest on the parameters set by the Environmental Performance Index. Although India has criticised the methods used while calculating the indicators, in the end, facts are the only true and relevant response. India must make information about its efforts and achievements easily available and verifiable. This will aid in providing a more accurate picture of the country’s environmental performance.

The country must conduct an internal review to determine whether its environmental performance is adequate. It must assess if it is adopting sufficiently appropriate steps and implementing policies aimed at promoting human well-being and lowering environmental impact.

The report shows that India had slipped behind on many climate-related parameters. Thus, India needs to focus on a wide spectrum of sustainability issues, with a high priority on critical issues such as air and water quality, biodiversity and climate change.

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