The 4th edition of the Global Green Economy Index, produced by private US-based consultancy Dual Citizen LLC ranked 60 countries on how they are developing more environmentally friendly economies, both in terms of actual performance and expert perception of their performance.
According to the report’s introduction, events like the People’s Climate March, make the link between low carbon growth and the reputation of leaders and nation states, “more vivid today than ever before.”
In 2012 there were only 27 countries assessed in the Global Green Economy Index, in 2014, there were a total of 60 countries assessed including nations from every continent.
The report found that Scandinavian countries, along with Germany are world leaders. Sweden and Norway headed up the list of actual performance, with Costa Rica ranking third followed by Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, Finland, Iceland, and Spain.
The worst performing countries are China, Poland, Senegal, Qatar, Vietnam and Mongolia. The US ranked in the middle at 28.
Countries whose perception under performed their actions include Austria, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal and Spain. The report indicated that these nations could benefit from “improved green country branding,” along with the African nations of Ethiopia, Mauritius, Rwanda and Zambia.
Countries whose perception far exceeded their performance include the US, Japan, the Netherlands and Australia.
Unsurprisingly, countries with the fastest levels of growth were also countries that tended to be lacking in terms of green credentials. This includes countries like China, Ghana, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam.
For a more detailed breakdown and a review of emerging trends click here.
To read the full report click here (PDF).
