Switzerland Rates 2nd Among the World’s 10 Cleanest Countries
When clichés become reality: Switzerland’s Clean Environment Rates 2nd
Switzerland’s clean air and beautiful landscapes are clichés, but have recently been measured academically and we are proud to claim that we are the 2nd cleanest country in the world, right after Island.
According to Forbes Magazine, “researchers at Yale and Columbia ranked countries’ environmental performance based on 25 metrics, including water and air quality, habitat protection and the impact of the environment on the health of the population” using the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). This index was developed by Columbia University’s Center for International Earth Science Information Network and Yale University’s Center for Environmental Law and Policy. It aims “to highlight the cleanest countries, and give laggards the opportunity to benchmark efforts to improve their own environments and the health of their citizens”. According to the findings related by Andy Stone our country leads the way. “Switzerland has an overall EPI score of 95.5 out of 100, while European countries account for 14 of the top 20 environmental performers”. Furthermore, our country “scores a perfect 100 in forestry, water quality (effects on humans) and biodiversity and habitat. Like most rich, industrialized nations, its lowest scoring was in air pollution (effects on ecosystem).”
Several environmental catastrophes have contributed to raising awareness at the level of government, as well as among the population and in the corporate sector. Switzerland and the GREATER GENEVA BERNE area’s history of environmental focus has developed technologies that aim to find new ways of taking advantage of the environment while respecting it. If you want to learn more about GGBa’s energy and environmental technologies please click on ‘Energy and Environmental Technologies’ on our website. For any interest in Switzerland’s environmental policies, please visit the Federal Office for Environment (FOEN) website: www.bafu.admin.ch/index.html.
