Environmental Performance Index

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. [cite web |title=Environmental Performance Index |url=http://research.yale.edu/envirocenter/index.php?page=environmental-performance-index |accessdate=2008-03-16 |author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy, and Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University] 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. [cite web |title=2008 Environmental Performance Index Report |url=http://www.yale.edu/epi/files/2008EPI_Text.pdf|accessdate=2008-03-18|author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University See Executive Summary, pp. 32-35 for a detailed comparison between the ESI 2005, the EPI 2006 and the EPI 2008.]

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.

2008 Variables

Overall EPI score

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". [cite web
title=Switzerland Tops 2008 Environmental Scorecard at World Economic Forum
url=http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/08-01-23-04.all.html
accessdate=2008-01-26
author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University]

Top 30 countries and score [cite web
title=Environmental Performance Index 2008
url=http://epi.yale.edu/Home
accessdate=2008-01-25
author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University]

1. CHE 95.5
2. NOR 93.1
3. SWE 93.1
4. FIN 91.4
5. CRI 90.5
6. AUT 89.4
7. NZL 88.9
8. LVA 88.8
9. COL 88.3
10. FRA 87.8

11. ISL 87.6
12. CAN 86.6
13. GER 86.3
14. GBR 86.3
15. SLO 86.3
16. LTU 86.2
17. SVK 86.0
18. PRT 85.8
19. EST 85.2
20. CRO 84.6

21. JPN 84.5
22. ECU 84.4
23. HUN 84.2
24. ITA 84.2
25. ALB 84.0
26. DNK 84.0
27. MYS 84.0
28. RUS 83.9
29. CHL 83.4
30. ESP 83.1

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 [cite web
title=Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index
url=http://www.yale.edu/epi/
accessdate=2007-06-17
author=Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy / Center for International Earth Science Information Network at Columbia University]

1. NZL 88.0
2. SWE 87.8
3. FIN 87.0
4. CZE 86.0
5. GBR 85.6
6. AUT 85.2
7. DNK 84.2
8. CAN 84.0
9. MYS 83.3
10. Flag|Ireland 83.3
11. PRT 82.9
12. FRA 82.5
13. ISL 82.1
14. JPN 81.9
15. CRI 81.6
16. CHE 81.4
17. COL 80.4
18. NOR 80.2
19. GRC 80.2
20. AUS 80.1
21. ITA 79.8
22. DEU 79.4
23. ESP 79.2
24. TWN 79.1
25. SVK 79.1
26. CHL 78.9
27. NLD 78.7
28. USA 78.5
29. CYP 78.4
30. ARG 77.7

ee also

*Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI)
*Environmental Vulnerability Index (EVI)

External links

* [http://epi.yale.edu/ Yale University] – EPI – A collaboration between Yale and Columbia Universities
* [http://www.yale.edu/envirocenter/index.htm Yale University] – YCELP – Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy

References