While the highest overall EPI scores are concentrated in Europe, the lowest scores go to Southern and Southeast Asian countries; Here are the top 10 countries with the best ecosystem in the world.
World’s Top 10 countries with best environments: In 2022, at COP 15 in Montreal, over 190 countries made what has been called “the biggest conservation commitment the world has ever seen.” The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework called for the effective protection and management of 30% of the world’s terrestrial, inland water, coastal, and marine areas by the year 2030, commonly known as the 30×30 target.
As renowned environmentalist Gaylord Nelson once said, “The ultimate test of man’s conscience may be his willingness to sacrifice something today for future generations whose words of thanks will not be heard.”
This sentiment captures the essence of the 30×30 target: a global target to protect 30% of the planet from nature by 2030. While there has been progress towards reaching this ambitious goal of protecting 30% of land and sea on paper, the recently released 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
While the highest overall EPI scores are concentrated in Europe, in contrast, emissions in the world’s largest economies, such as the U.S. (which is ranked 34th), are falling too slowly or are still rising, such as in China, Russia, and India, which are ranked 176th (27.6), with the lowest scores go to Southern and Southeast Asian countries.
This is owed to increased reliance on coal—the dirtiest fossil fuel—to power their rapidly growing economies, resulting in skyrocketing GHG emissions and some of the highest air pollution levels in the world, which harm public health and degrade ecosystems.
Here are the world’s top 10 countries with the best environment in 2024:
Ranking across 58 indicators across 11 issue categories—from climate change mitigation and air pollution to waste management, sustainability of fisheries and agriculture, deforestation, and biodiversity protection—explore the top 10 countries with the best and cleanest environments in the world in 2024.