NEWS – Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2024 released by Yale university

HIGHLIGHTS

• Poor Environmental Performance: India ranks among the bottom five nations globally on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2024, which assesses the environmental performance of 180 countries.
• Marginal Improvement: India’s rank improved slightly from 180th in 2022 to 176th in 2024.
• Consistent Decline: India has been on a downward trajectory in the EPI rankings since 2012.

Historical EPI Rankings for India

• 2000-2012: Positioned between 122 and 127.
• Post-2012 Decline:
  • 2014: Start of the decline.
  • 2018: Ranked 177th.
  • 2020: Ranked 168th.
  • 2022: Ranked 180th.
  • 2024: Ranked 176th.

Key Areas of Concern

• Ecosystem Vitality: India performs poorly in maintaining healthy ecosystems.
• Biodiversity and Habitat: Struggles with protecting biodiversity and habitats.
• Species Protection Index: Low scores in protecting various species.
• Terrestrial Biome: Poor performance in managing terrestrial ecosystems.
• Air Quality: Significant issues with maintaining clean air.

Areas of Improvement

• Fine Particulate Matter Pollution: Improved scores on reducing pollution from household solid fuels.
• Sanitation and Drinking Water: Notable progress in sanitation and access to clean drinking water.
• Acid Rain Precursors: Better performance in reducing precursors to acid rain.
• Climate Change: Some improvements in climate change indicators.

Comparative Performance

• Better Performers: Estonia ranks highest with a significant reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
• Worst Performers: The four countries performing worse than India are Myanmar, Laos, Pakistan, and Vietnam.

Challenges and Observations

• Relative Progress: India’s rank reflects not just its own progress but also the faster improvements made by other countries.
• Resource Constraints: Enforcement of environmental regulations is hindered by shortages of funding and personnel, particularly in developing nations.
• Global Emissions Context: Major economies like the US and China also face challenges in reducing emissions, though the US ranks significantly higher at 34th.