Decoding India’s last rank in the environmental performance index for 2022

India scored the lowest among 180 countries in the 2022 Environment Performance Index (EPI), an analysis by researchers of Yale and Columbia University which provides a data-driven summary of the state of sustainability around the world. The EPI ranks 180 countries on 40 performance indicators including climate change, environmental public health, biodiversity, among others. 

Statement by EPI

“…For the overall performance and ranking EPI, each country’s performance is viewed across numerous (18) categories like ecosystem vitality, biodiversity and habitat, ecosystem services and grassland loss. Unfortunately, India is consistently ranking either at the bottom or close to the bottom in almost all the categories, both regionally and globally," as per a statement by EPI.

My analysis: 

Countries such as India and Nigeria are in the bottom rankings. Their low EPI scores indicate the need for greater attention to the spectrum of sustainability requirements with high priority focus on critical issues such as air and water quality, biodiversity and climate change.

Data suggests, according to EPI, that developing countries do not have to sacrifice sustainability for economic security. The steps taken for climate action initiated by policymakers and stakeholders in leading countries demonstrate that focused attention can mobilise communities to protect natural resources and human well being.

What did the officials say?

“This is fundamentally a question of the development model and pathways we want to pursue and the lifestyles that we as citizens want to adopt. Destroying the environment and nature in the name of ‘development’ should no longer be the path, whatever might be the justification. Such an approach is just not tenable any more," said Ravi Chellam, CEO, Metastring Foundation & Coordinator, Biodiversity Collaborative.

“We have to immediately reduce the carbon intensity of our economy, undertake large-scale and long-term science-based ecological restoration of all our diverse ecosystems which are inclusive in their approach and strengthen the resilience of our socio-ecological systems," Chellam said.

Will there be more focus on this regard or will the pollution emission continue in the same way? Only till will tell.