The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues facing our world today, as the effects and damages of climate change become increasingly apparent. The U.N. signed the Paris Agreement pledging carbon neutrality by 2050; however, some countries are playing a bigger part in reducing emissions than others.
Experts use many measures to evaluate a country's impact on the environment, including the Environmental Performance Index (EPI), which uses 40 indicators to rank the level of sustainability for 180 countries, U.S. News' Green Living Ranking, the Green Future Index (GFI), which focuses on countries' transitions to clean energy and the UN Sustainable Development Report, which tracks important goals encompassing climate, environment and human rights. Through these metrics, some countries have made bigger strides to be more environmentally friendly, while others clearly have not.
Top 3 most sustainable countries
Denmark
Denmark was the highest-ranked nation in the EPI, fifth in the Green Living Ranking and fourth in the GFI. The country has also spent a lot of time in the top ranks of sustainability. Denmark has a small carbon footprint and is ranked third in the Sustainable Development Report. In 2020, Denmark passed the Climate Act, which set a goal of cutting emissions by 50% by 2025 and 70% by 2030.
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The country has also implemented newer ways of increasing sustainability, including proposing a passenger tax on air travel to be used to help the industry transition to green energy. "The aviation sector in Denmark must — just like all other industries — reduce its climate footprint and move towards a green future," said Lars Aagaard, Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities. The Danish government is also working with Japan on offshore wind projects.
In a step backward, however, the country will be cutting its "open door scheme" for new applications to install renewable energy projects due to conflict over EU regulations.
Finland
Finland ranked third place in the EPI, sixth in the Green Living Ranking and second in the GFI. It also ranked first in the Sustainable Development Report, meaning Scandinavia has continued to dominate the sustainability space. The country is dedicated to carbon neutrality, opting for an 80-95% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Finland is almost 70% forested, with about 17,000 square kilometers strictly protected.
The country has made substantial strides in offshore wind development. "The development of five new offshore wind farms proves that Finland is fully committed to increasing the capacity of emission-free energy," said Juha S. Niemelä, Director General of Finnish government-owned environmental organization Metsähallitus. The country is also putting more responsibility on producers to be eco-friendly in 2024, extending which businesses are held to producer responsibility regulations. The extensions "will contribute to strengthening environmental protection in Finland and promoting sustainability throughout the product lifecycle."
Switzerland
Switzerland ranked ninth in the EPI, fourth in the Green Living Index, 20th in the GFI and 15th in the sustainable development report. The country is also up-and-coming in its sustainability efforts, and ranked particularly high in water quality and waste management
Switzerland aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to 50% of 1990 levels by 2030, and plans to be net zero by 2050. "The most remarkable developments in recent years have been made through the integration of environmental-protection and sustainability issues into a wide range of areas that both directly and indirectly concern environmental policy," said a 2022 Sustainable Government Indicators analysis. The country is also one of the top recyclers in the world, and on average converts 100,000 tons of waste into energy each year. In 2024, Switzerland is focusing on developing more sustainable food systems.
Top 3 least sustainable countries
Qatar
Qatar ranked 137th in the EPI, 27th in the Green Living Ranking, 100th in the Sustainable Development Report and 73rd on the GFI. The country also has the most per capita carbon emissions globally. Qatar is one of the largest exporters of oil and natural gas and its domestic production accounts for almost all of its energy needs. As a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), fossil fuels are a staple of the Qatari economy.
Qatar was caught in controversy last year for its handling of the FIFA World Cup. Experts cited human rights violations in building the stadiums, as well as a false claim of carbon neutrality. The country does have a goal to "cut greenhouse gas emissions by 24% and use 20% of its energy through solar power by 2030," and is "putting sustainability at the forefront of its economic growth strategy," said EuroNews.
Iran
Iran ranked 133rd in the EPI, 87th in the Green Living Ranking, 86th in the Sustainable Development Report and 76th in the GFI. The country also heavily relies on oil and gas exports for its economy. Iran is the sixth-highest greenhouse gas emitter in the world and is one of the only countries to not ratify the Paris Agreement. Iran's decision-makers "have shown no willingness towards greenhouse gas mitigation efforts," Al Jazeera said.
The country has also faced a number of controversies, from global protests in support of women's rights to the debate surrounding its place in the Israel-Hamas war. Iran is facing a water crisis, as the country "has disastrously mismanaged Iran's water resources in the decades since the 1979 revolution," Time said. Iran and Russia are also mismanaging the Caspian Sea, which has been steadily sinking and reached a critical low in 2022. Without proper guidelines, the countries have "created a degree of ambivalence about where and how to limit ambitions related to oil, gas, fishing, and other environmentally harmful economic activities," said the Middle East Institute.
Turkey
Turkey ranked 172nd in the EPI, 45th in the Green Living Ranking, 72nd in the Sustainable Development Report and 63rd in the GFI. In the country, "environmental issues have often been overshadowed by more immediate concerns, such as economic stability, political conflicts, refugee crises and recent earthquake relief efforts," said the Stockholm Environment Institute. Turkey relies heavily on energy imports, racking up its carbon footprint. Waste management is also a large problem for the nation, ranking at the "top of the list of the least environmentally friendly waste management country" in the 2022 Global Waste Index.
However, the country is making strides to improve its situation and has already made significant progress. "As a middle-income country, Turkey has made progress in all three dimensions of sustainable development and taken fundamental steps in eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities and addressing the vulnerable," said the United Nations. The country is also expanding ecotourism in 2024, introducing 26 new ecotourism areas this year. Its goal is to "enhance the resilience of forests in the face of global changes and promote long-term sustainability," Daily Sabah said.
Where does the US rank?
The U.S. ranked 43rd in the EPI, 20th in the Green Living Ranking, 29th in the Sustainable Development Report and 19th in the GFI — which is lower than some may have anticipated, when compared to other developed nations.
The U.S. is the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, accounting for more than 13% of total global emissions. The U.S. also still relies heavily on fossil fuels, which causes considerable damage. President Joe Biden faced criticism for his approval of the Willow Project, a massive oil drilling endeavor. While the U.S. has made strides to reduce the environmental damage it causes, like passing the Inflation Reduction Act, more can be done politically to actively combat climate change, as the country is one of the planet's largest contributors.
Are there any patterns in the data?
The rankings show that just as climate change disproportionately impacts some regions, the ability to improve or prevent it is also disproportionate. Almost all of the top-ranked countries on every list are smaller European countries, which have fewer problems with resources and more money to invest in green legislation.
On the other hand, the bottom-ranked countries largely include developing nations that are predominantly made up of people of color or countries that heavily rely on fossil fuels for their economy, and many have far higher populations than their European counterparts. In addition, far-right influence has impacted several traditionally progressive nations, which has the potential to affect the world's ability to meet climate goals.
March 26, 2024: This article has been updated.
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