Environmental Performance Index

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The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a method of quantifying and numerically benchmarking the environmental performance of a country'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 U.N. Millennium Development Goals.^[1]

The EPI was preceded by the Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), published between 1999 and 2005. Both indexes were developed by Yale University (Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy) and Columbia University (Center for International Earth Science Information Network) 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.^[2]

As of January, 2008 two EPI reports have been released - the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index and the 2008 Environmental Performance Index. In the 2008 scorecard, the top three countries were Switzerland, Norway and Sweden.

Contents 1 2008 Variables 2 Overall EPI score 2.1 2008 2.2 2006 3 See also 4 External links 5 References

[edit] 2008 Variables

EPI 2008: Objectives, policy categories and sub-categories, and indicators

OBJECTIVE	ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
POLICY CATEGORIES	Environmental Burden of Disease	Water (effects on humans)	Air Pollution (effects on humans)
INDICATORS	1. Environmental Burden of Disease	2. Adequate Sanitation	4. Indoor Air Pollution
		3. Drinking Water	5. Urban Particulates
			6. Local Ozone
OBJECTIVE	ECOSYSTEM VITALITY
POLICY CATEGORIES	Air Pollution (effects on ecosystems)	Water	Biodiversity and Habitat
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	Productive Natural Resources	Productive Natural Resources	Productive Natural Resources
POLICY SUB-CATEGORY	Forestry	Fisheries	Agriculture
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	Climate Change
INDICATORS	23. Emissions per capita
	24. Emissions per electricity generated
	25. Industrial carbon intensity

[edit] Overall EPI score

[edit] 2008

On 23 January 2008 Yale University and Columbia University released the 2008 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum. 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".^[3]

Top 30 countries and score^[4]

Switzerland 95.5  Norway 93.1  Sweden 93.1  Finland 91.4  Costa Rica 90.5  Austria 89.4  New Zealand 88.9  Latvia 88.8  Colombia 88.3  France 87.8

Iceland 87.6  Canada 86.6  Germany 86.3  United Kingdom 86.3  Slovenia 86.3  Lithuania 86.2  Slovakia 86.0  Portugal 85.8  Estonia 85.2  Croatia 84.6

Japan 84.5  Ecuador 84.4  Hungary 84.2  Italy 84.2  Albania 84.0  Denmark 84.0  Malaysia 84.0  Russia 83.9  Chile 83.4  Spain 83.1

[edit] 2006

On 26 January 2006 Yale (YCELP) and Columbia University (CIESIN) released the Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index at the World Economic Forum. It was done in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission.

Top 30 countries and score^[5]

New Zealand 88.0  Sweden 87.8  Finland 87.0  Czech Republic 86.0  United Kingdom 85.6  Austria 85.2  Denmark 84.2  Canada 84.0  Malaysia 83.3  Ireland 83.3

Portugal 82.9  France 82.5  Iceland 82.1  Japan 81.9  Costa Rica 81.6  Switzerland 81.4  Colombia 80.4  Norway 80.2  Greece 80.2  Australia 80.1

Italy 79.8  Germany 79.4  Spain 79.2  Taiwan 79.1  Slovakia 79.1  Chile 78.9  Netherlands 78.7  United States 78.5  Cyprus 78.4  Argentina 77.7

[edit] See also

• Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI)
• Environmental Vulnerability Index

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[edit] External links

• Yale University - EPI
• Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy - YCELP

[edit] References