While some may deny its existence, climate change is a very real and noticeable occurrence. And unfortunately, large companies are not always the first institutions to take notice of these kinds of issues. Fortunately, countries are more than happy to pick up the slack and take matters of the environment into their own hands. And, according to the Environmental Protection Index, the list of the world’s most environmentally-friendly countries is a lot more surprising than you might think.
It turns out that the United State of America didn’t make the cut. Coming in at an unimpressive 26th, it’s no doubt that the polarization of the country has prevented meaningful discourse on the ever-pressing issue. However, Scandinavian countries, like Finland, Sweden and Denmark all showed that a good economy and a commitment to social good can do a lot more for the environment than you might think. Iceland also was in the top two, boasting that 100 percent of its electricity coming from renewable sources.
Perhaps more importantly, every single country in the top 20 is trending up as far as their EPI rankings are concerned. That means that progress is the key factor in developing a world full of renewable energy and emission free technology. And while this may seem like the most obvious thing anyone has ever said, many countries are trending down like Greece, Lithuania and, you guessed it, the United States of America.
If you are wondering which other countries made this list of the world’s most environmentally-friendly countries, check out who made the cut below.