{"id":80502,"date":"2026-07-31T18:16:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:46:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=80502"},"modified":"2026-07-31T18:17:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T12:47:36","slug":"environmental-performance-index-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-07-2026\/environmental-performance-index-2026","title":{"rendered":"India &#038; Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/Environment<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Yale University <\/strong>released the <strong>Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026<\/strong>, ranking <strong>India 176th<\/strong> out of 177 countries. The report highlighted India\u2019s ongoing environmental challenges and ignited a renewed discussion about its methodology and policy implications.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Environmental Performance Index (EPI)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is a <strong>biennial global index<\/strong> developed by the <strong>Yale Center for Environmental Law &amp; Policy<\/strong> in collaboration with the <strong>Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Objective:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It measures how effectively countries protect <strong>environmental health<\/strong> and <strong>ecosystem vitality<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It offers a data-driven assessment of environmental consequences and policy effectiveness.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It helps governments to identify priority areas for strengthening environmental governance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Key Findings (EPI 2026)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Estonia is the top ranked<\/strong> country with 74.79 while <strong>Laos is the lowest ranked.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Many industrialised economies fared better due to more robust environmental legislation and institutional capabilities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air pollution, loss of biodiversity and climate mitigation are still key worldwide concerns.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Environmental quality is evaluated in areas such as air quality, climate change, biodiversity, water resources, agriculture, fisheries, waste management and sanitation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"d9e5dc\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"944\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-271.png\" alt=\"EPI Framework 2026\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-80503\" style=\"--dominant-color: #d9e5dc; aspect-ratio:1.6332482683193583;width:524px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-271.png 944w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-271-300x184.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-271-768x470.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Findings Related to India (2026)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>India is 176th out of 177 countries<\/strong> with a score of 22.46.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Earlier, India ranked 141st in 2016, 177th in 2018, 168th in 2020, 180th in 2022 and 176th in 2024.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Key Observations:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India has been among the <strong>five worst-performing countries since 2022.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India faces the challenge of reconciling <strong>economic development with energy access and environmental sustainability<\/strong>, the research said.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Air quality, biodiversity and greenhouse gas emissions continue to be pressured by growing urbanisation and industrialisation.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Areas Showing Improvement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Climate Change (130th place):<\/strong> It has improved by 13.98 points over the last decade.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It shows progress on expanding renewable energy, improving energy efficiency and implementing regulations on climate change.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Waste Management (Rank 141st)<\/strong>: Progress in municipal trash management programmes and Swachh Bharat Mission.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sanitation (Rank 141st):<\/strong> Expansion of sanitation infrastructure and improved access to toilets contributed positively.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Major Areas of Concern<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Air Quality (Rank 174th):<\/strong> The air quality score has slipped a bit in the last decade despite the <strong>National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Major sources include emissions from vehicles, coal-based power generation, industrial pollutants, construction-related dust and biomass burning.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Biodiversity (Rank 174):<\/strong> Major issues continue with habitat destruction, deforestation, infrastructural growth and ecosystem fragmentation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tree Cover: <\/strong>Performance declining in the decade due to diversion of forest and land-use changes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Fisheries:<\/strong> Sustainability indicators are going down because of overexploitation and degradation of aquatic habitats.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Pesticide Pollution:<\/strong> The continued dependency on chemical-intensive agriculture has led to poor environmental performance.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Urban Environmental Management:<\/strong> In many towns the treatment of waste water and the control of pollution are still inadequate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Efforts in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Constitutional Provisions:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Article 48A:<\/strong> Protection and improvement of the environment.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Article 51A(g):<\/strong> Duty to protect the natural environment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Government Initiatives:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>National Clean Air Programme (NCAP)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Swachh Bharat Mission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Namami Gange Programme Green India Mission National Biodiversity Action Plan<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>CAMPA Fund<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Jal Jeevan Mission<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Plastic Waste Management Rules \u2013 Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Related Global Efforts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Paris Agreement (2015)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with special emphasis on SDGs 6, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Global Biodiversity Framework Kunming\u2013Montreal (2022)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ramsar Convention on Wetlands<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Montreal Protocol and the Kigali Amendment<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>UN Decade of Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Way Forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Enhance monitoring and enforcement to improve the enforcement of environmental regulations.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Speed up the shift to clean energy and decrease dependence on fossil fuels.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cleaner transport, regulation of industrial emissions and dust management to improve urban air quality<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhance wastewater treatment and integrated urban waste management.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Promote sustainable agriculture . Reduce the excessive use of pesticides and promote natural farming practices .<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Expand ecosystem restoration, afforestation and biodiversity conservation activities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enhanced environmental data quality, transparency and outcome-based monitoring.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Integrate environmental sustainability into development planning to guarantee balanced and inclusive growth.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.downtoearth.org.in\/environment\/wake-up-call-say-experts-as-india-gets-second-lowest-global-ranking-on-yales-environment-performance-index-also-raise-questions-on-methodology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source: DTE<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Yale University released the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2026, ranking India 176th out of 177 countries. The report highlighted India\u2019s ongoing environmental challenges and ignited a renewed discussion about its methodology and policy implications. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Environmental Performance Index (EPI) <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It is a biennial global index developed by the Yale Center for Environmental Law &#038; Policy in collaboration with the Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Objective: <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> It measures how effectively countries protect environmental health and ecosystem vitality. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/31-07-2026\/environmental-performance-index-2026 \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80502","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80502","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=80502"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80502\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80507,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/80502\/revisions\/80507"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=80502"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=80502"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=80502"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}