U.S. Ranks 28th In Meeting Environmental Goals

Among 133 nations, the U.S. ranks 28th in its success in meeting national environmental goals, according to a major study. The study gauged the nations' success in meeting a set of objectives, including clean drinking water, low ozone levels, sustainable fisheries, and low greenhouse gas emissions. The report, "Pilot 2006 Environmental Performance Index," was written by a team of environmental experts at the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

In the study, six nations—New Zealand, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, the U.K., and Austria—ranked the highest, with scores of 85% or greater in meeting the goals. The U.S. scored lower than Japan, Costa Rica, Colombia, Chile, Taiwan, and most of Western Europe, but it was ahead of Argentina, Russia, and Brazil.

"The lagging performance of the U.S. on environmental issues, particularly on energy and climate change, signals trouble not only for the American people but for the whole world," says James G. (Gus) Speth, dean of the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies.

The highest ranked countries commit significant resources and effort to environmental protection, the 359-page report says. According to the authors, environmental policy results can be tracked with the same "performance-based rigor that applies to poverty reduction, health promotion, and other global development goals."

The report concludes that a country's wealth and economic development are important determinants of environmental outcomes. But, it notes, at every level of development, some countries far exceed their peers, showing that policy choices affect performance. It also shows that no country has attained "a position of long-term environmental sustainability."

"Policy choices matter," says Daniel C. Esty, lead author of the report and director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. "Good governance emerges as a critical factor in environmental performance."

The study is to be released on Jan. 26 in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum, an annual meeting of business and political leaders. The authors stress that the report is a work in progress and welcome feedback on any aspect (www.yale.edu/epi).