Recently, Oman ranked second in the environmental performance Index 2024 among GCC nations and in the Middle East, according to the 2024 EPI.
With a commendable score of 51.9 out of 100, Oman now occupies the 50th position globally, significantly improving from its 149th rank in 2022 among 180 countries.
- Increasing Biodiversity sites: The establishment of new natural reserves through Royal decrees has significantly bolstered Oman’s environmental rating, increasing the number of reserves to about 30 and biodiversity-focused sites to over 25.
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- About: The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a global ranking system that assesses countries’ environmental health.
- The World Economic Forum introduced the Environment Sustainability Index in 2002, and it is updated every two years.
- Published by: The Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, in collaboration with the Columbia University Center for International Earth Science Information Network, prepares the EPI.
- Identifying Top Performance Drivers: The EPI helps decision-makers identify the factors behind high environmental performance.
- Key Factors for Sustainability: Analysing EPI data shows that financial resources, good governance, human development, and regulatory quality are crucial for enhancing a country’s sustainability.
- Promoting Sustainable Development: By highlighting these connections, the EPI promotes sustainable development for a more secure and equitable environmental future.
Framework
- The framework organizes 58 indicators into 11 issue categories and three policy objectives, with weights shown at each level as a percentage of the total score.
- New Metrics: The EPI 2024 introduces new metrics in response to emerging goals and recent environmental reports.
- Emissions Assessment: One notable addition is assessing individual countries’ progress in reducing their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
- Increased Emission Reductions: The report reveals that more countries are reducing their emissions than previously thought.
- However, only five nations – Estonia, Finland, Greece, Timor-Leste, and the UK – have reduced their emissions enough to reach net zero or be on track to do so by 2050 if they continue at their current rate.
- Metrics for Habitat Protection: The 2024 EPI has introduced new metrics to measure how well countries protect essential habitats and regulate protected areas. This is in response to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s goal of protecting 30% of land and sea by 2030.
- The report shows that many countries have met conservation goals, but the loss of natural ecosystems remains a major challenge. In 23 countries, over 10% of protected lands are occupied by buildings and agriculture.
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- Rank of India: The 2024 Environmental Performance Index ranks India 176th out of 180 countries, highlighting serious environmental challenges.
- Despite slight progress in climate change mitigation, India scores poorly in air quality and sanitation.
- India’s overall ranking is grim but fares slightly better in the Climate Change Index, ranking 133rd with 35 points.
- However, India ranks fifth in air quality in South Asia with 6.8 points.
June 7, 2024
