A new analysis reveals that Europe remains at the forefront of global environmental protection efforts, largely thanks to strong regulations and its commitments to decarbonization.
According to the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a biennial assessment conducted by Yale and Columbia Universities, Estonia holds the top spot on this year’s global ranking, with a score of 74.79 out of 100.
The 2026 EPI evaluates 177 countries using 47 indicators across 12 thematic categories, from environmental health to ecosystem vitality and climate change.
Experts say that the country’s performance is largely due to a sharp reduction over the last decade in greenhouse gas emissions linked to energy production. Estonia has expanded renewable electricity generation and reduced fossil fuel production, and, in addition, the study’s authors say it has one of the best countries in the world when it comes to biodiversity protection.
The top 20 are occupied by European countries and Japan. Portugal appears in the 18th position, with a score of 62.74, compared with 67 in 2020. However, in that year the country ranked 27th globally.
“The strong performance of Europe is partially attributable to strong environmental regulations and a commitment to decarbonization,” says Alex de Sherbinin, director of the CIESIN research center at Columbia University and coauthor of the index.
Nevertheless, experts say that there are “significant sustainability challenges.” For example, they point to agricultural sustainability as one of the region’s greatest difficulties, even for countries at the top of the ranking.
The United States of America ranks 27th in the global ranking, with 58.54 points. And it is possible that the United States’ performance could worsen further in the coming years.
“The United States risks falling further behind in the coming years as it retreats from its environmental commitments,” Sherbinin notes.
According to the analysis, the country performs well in environmental health, but scores are weak in biodiversity protection and metrics related to climate change. Moreover, although U.S. greenhouse gas emissions fell by 9.6% between 2014 and 2024, the assessment projects that emissions will remain well above what is necessary to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
At the bottom of the ranking stands Laos, with 21.78 points. India occupies the penultimate place, with 22.46 points, which the EPI authors explain as reflecting severe air pollution, continued dependence on coal for energy production, and insufficient biodiversity protections.
Experts also highlight Botswana and Costa Rica as examples of countries that managed to combine strong economic growth with good sustainability results, which they consider proof that development does not have to come at the expense of the environment.
“If countries want to stay on track toward carbon neutrality by 2050, they will need to continue making large reductions in emissions, which will require additional policies in the future,” says Zach Wendling, lead author of the EPI 2026.
