Environmental Performance Index
The Environmental Performance Index is a method of quantifying and numerically marking the environmental performance of a state's policies. This index was developed from the Pilot Environmental Performance Index, first published in 2002, and designed to supplement the environmental targets set forth in the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
The EPI was preceded by the Environmental Sustainability Index, published between 1999 and 2005. Both indices were developed by Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. The ESI was developed to evaluate environmental sustainability relative to the paths of other countries. Due to a shift in focus by the teams developing the ESI, the EPI uses outcome-oriented indicators, then working as a benchmark index that can be more easily used by policy makers, environmental scientists, advocates and the general public. Other leading indices like the Global Green Economy Index provide an integrated measure of the environmental, social and economic dynamics of national economies. The GGEI utilizes EPI data for the environmental dimension of the index while also providing a performance assessment of efficiency sectors, investment, green innovation and national leadership around climate change.
In January 2012 four EPI reports have been released — the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index, and the 2008, 2010, and 2012 Environmental Performance Index. For the 2012 report, a new "Pilot Trend EPI" was developed to rank countries based on the environmental performance changes occurred during the last decade, allowing to establish which countries are improving and which are declining.
In the 2014 EPI ranking, the top five countries were Switzerland, Luxembourg, Australia, Singapore, and the Czech Republic. The bottom five countries in 2014 were Somalia, Mali, Haiti, Lesotho, and Afghanistan. The United Kingdom was ranked in 12th place, Japan 26th place, the United States 33rd, Brazil 77th, China 118th, and India came in 155th. The top five countries based on their 2012 Pilot Trend EPI were Estonia, Kuwait, El Salvador, Namibia and Congo.
Methodology
EPI calculation variables change often as can be seen below. This should be taken into account when observing country performance through several reports, as it can lead to score and ranking changes founded just on methodology modification.2018 variables
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%.
2016 variables
2010 variables
| OBJECTIVE | |||
| POLICY CATEGORIES | |||
| INDICATORS | 1. Environmental Burden of Disease | 2. Adequate Sanitation | 4. Indoor Air Pollution |
| 3. Drinking Water | 5. Urban Particulates | ||
| 6. Local Ozone | |||
| OBJECTIVE | |||
| POLICY CATEGORIES | |||
| INDICATORS | 7. Regional Ozone | 9. Water Quality Index | 11. Conservation Risk Index |
| 8. Sulfur Dioxide Emissions | 10. Water Stress | 12. Effective Conservation | |
| 13. Critical Habitat Protection | |||
| 14. Marine Protected Areas | |||
| POLICY CATEGORIES | |||
| POLICY SUB-CATEGORY | |||
| INDICATORS | 15. Growing Stock | 16. Marine Trophic Index | 18. Irrigation Stress |
| 17. Trawling Intensity | 19. Agricultural subsidies | ||
| 20. Intensive Cropland | |||
| 21. Burnt Land Area | |||
| 22. Pesticide Regulation | |||
| POLICY CATEGORIES | |||
| INDICATORS | 23. Emissions per capita | ||
| 24. Emissions per electricity generated | |||
| 25. Industrial carbon intensity |
EPI scores
2018
2016
On 23 January 2016, the 2016 Environmental Performance Index was released at the World Economic Forum, with 180 countries being ranked.Top 30 countries and score
2014
On 25 January 2014 Yale University and Columbia University released the 2014 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum ranking 178 countries.Top 30 countries and score
2012
On 25 January 2012 Yale University and Columbia University released the 2012 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum ranking 132 countries.Top 30 countries and score
Top 10 countries by Trend EPI
The EPI rank is shown in parentheses.
Worst 10 countries by Trend EPI
The EPI rank is shown in parentheses.
2010
On 28 January 2010 Yale University and Columbia University released the 2010 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum ranking 163 countries. The top performer for 2010 is Iceland due to its high scores on environmental public health, gets virtually all of its power from renewable sources, and its control of greenhouse gas emissions. The United States fell to the 61st position, as compared to 39th in the 2008 EPI, Brazil ranks 62nd, Russia 69th, China 121st, and India ranks 123rd.Top 30 countries and score
2008
On 23 January 2008 Yale University and Columbia University released the 2008 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum ranking 149 countries. The environmental experts at both universities concluded that "analysis of the drivers underlying the 2008 rankings suggests that wealth is a major determinant of environmental success".Top 30 countries and score
2006
On 26 January 2006 Yale and Columbia University released the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum ranking 133 countries. It was done in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.Top 30 countries and score