Reports Ranks U.S. 26th for Environmental Performance

According to a press release issued by Yale University, "The 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a Yale-based initiative that evaluates how 180 countries protect ecosystems and human health, finds cause for both optimism and serious concern. The world’s nations have expanded access to water and sanitation while creating more protected areas than ever before, yet countries have failed to reverse degradation of air quality and decline in fisheries, the report finds."

"The EPI, which measures national and global protection of ecosystems and human health from environmental harm, draws out trends and highlights data gaps in priority areas including air quality, water management, and climate change....Increased access to water and sanitation stands out as a major success story: concerted efforts to develop clean drinking water and sewage infrastructure have significantly reduced deaths from waterborne diseases."

Finland takes top honors, followed by Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Slovenia. These top five performers share smart policies that target improvements to their natural and built environments, along with strong commitments to renewable energy. Finland's top ranking stems from its societal commitment to achieve a carbon-neutral society that does not exceed nature’s carrying capacity by 2050. Finland produces nearly two-thirds of its energy from renewable and nuclear power sources, which gave the Nordic nation an edge over other countries with similar environmental policies.