Estonia tops an environmental ranking dominated by Europe

The Environmental Performance Index 2026, published by researchers from Yale and Columbia universities, places Estonia first in the world with 75 points out of 100. European countries occupy 19 of the top 20 positions, but experts point out that even the best ranked remain far from the necessary climate targets.

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is published every two years by researchers from Yale and Columbia universities. It is based on 47 indicators divided into 12 categories (climate change mitigation, air quality, forests, water resources, waste management, biodiversity) and assigns each country a score from zero to 100, based on data from sources including the World Resources Institute and the European Union's Copernicus program.

Estonia has secured first place thanks to the significant reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production over the past decade. The country has progressively reduced its reliance on oil shale, an energy-rich sedimentary rock extracted within its borders, in favor of renewable energy sources, primarily solar. According to the International Energy Agency, Estonia aims to cover 100% of its annual electricity consumption with renewables by 2030, as part of a climate neutrality strategy set for 2050. More than 50% of its territory is covered by protected forests and wetlands, home to over 300 bird species.

At a conference organized on July 9 in New York by the United Nations University, Estonian Minister of Energy and Environment Andres Sutt said he was "very proud" of this recognition. But the score of 75 points illustrates the limitations of the overall picture: "If countries want to stay on a trajectory leading to net-zero emissions by 2050, they will have to continue to make significant emissions reductions, which will require new policies in the future," warns Zach Wendling, lead author of the report.

Behind Estonia, Luxembourg scores 74 points, the United Kingdom 72, and Finland and the Netherlands 71 ​​each. Germany and France share sixth place with 70 points. Despite the poor performance of many EU member states in the agricultural sustainability category, European countries occupy 19 of the top 20 positions in the ranking.

At the other end of the spectrum, Laos brings up the rear, followed by India, Bangladesh, Mali, and Vietnam. Experts point to "serious environmental degradation that poses a direct threat to human health and critical ecosystems." India ranks second to last primarily due to its difficulties in reducing airborne particulate matter from fuel combustion, construction sites, and forest fires, which is responsible for serious respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses.

The United States ranks 27th, just behind Australia (25th) and ahead of Canada (29th). However, the ranking is based on data up to 2024, which corresponds to the end of Joe Biden's term. Since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has committed to supporting coal, slowed the development of offshore wind power, and withdrawn the United States from several UN climate commitments. The US score reflects good results in environmental health, but lags behind on biodiversity and climate indicators. China, the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, ranks 129th, penalized by its poor climate performance despite progress on indoor air pollution and solid waste management.

The report also raises a methodological issue: wealthy countries have more capital to invest in the green transition, while low-income nations, which contribute less to global warming, struggle to mobilize the necessary financing. This distortion is exacerbated by the outsourcing of production and waste. In 2022, the EU exported 12,4 million tons of waste to Turkey and 3,5 million tons to India. The bloc also announced this year that it would allow countries to reduce their emissions by up to 5% through "high-quality international credits," a mechanism that has been met with skepticism by many experts.