Is India Making Progress in Environmental Performance Index?

June 17, 2024

According to the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), India was ranked 176th out of 180 nations. Compared to 2022, when it was at the bottom of the index, this shows a small gain. Different external factors are used by Yale and Columbia universities to make the EPI. Historically, India’s rank has gone up and down, but since 2014, it has gone down a lot.

Historical Context and Recent Trends

India’s rank changed from 122 to 127 between 2000 and 2012. In contrast, a steady drop was seen starting in 2014. The country was ranked 177th in 2018, 168th in 2020, 180th in 2022, and 176th in 2024. The drop is because other countries are doing better and India isn’t doing enough to fix its pollution problems.

Areas of Improvement and Continuing Challenges

Even though it is ranked low, things have gotten better. India got better grades on things like pollution from solid fuels used in homes, cleanliness, the quality of drinking water, acid rain precursors, and climate change. Even so, India is still having trouble with “air quality,” “ecosystem vitality,” “biodiversity and habitat,” and “species protection index.”

Comparative Global Performance

Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, and Vietnam were the only countries that did worse than India on the 2024 EPI. Estonia was at the top of the score because it had made the most progress in protecting the environment, especially by cutting down on greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, major countries like the USA, China, and Russia have either not cut their emissions at all or have seen them rise.

About Environmental Performance Index (EPI)

Overview and Purpose: The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a biennial ranking developed by Yale and Columbia Universities to assess countries’ environmental performance in achieving policy goals. Launched in 2006, it incorporates 32 performance indicators across 11 issue categories related to environmental health and ecosystem vitality.
High-Performing Countries: Denmark, Luxembourg, and Switzerland usually do well on the EPI because they use energy efficiently and have strict rules about the climate. These countries set examples for other countries that want to improve their environmental standards.
Importance for Policymakers: The EPI helps lawmakers figure out what their country is doing well in terms of the environment and what needs to be fixed. The EPI gives a full picture of how much environmental care people in each country are taking by using information from global expert reviews and satellite sources.

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