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India calls Yale-Columbia environment index ranking ‘unscientific’

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Amrutha Pagad
Amrutha PagadJun 10, 2022 | 16:16

India calls Yale-Columbia environment index ranking ‘unscientific’

India is not happy with the grades it was handed on environmental performance by the researchers of Yale and Columbia University in the US. And so, it has termed the ranking, ‘unscientific’, giving a point-by-point rebuttal.

What is the index? The Environment Performance Index (EPI) is released once every two years. This year’s EPI ranked 180 countries on their sustainability practices and achievements, marking each country on 40 indicators including waste management, air quality, biodiversity, etc.

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What was the result of EPI 2022? India was ranked 180th, the last on the index on its performance. India ranked lower than its neighbours Pakistan and Bangladesh. India ranked poorly in biodiversity, and air quality among other factors. However, it ranked slightly better in waste management and was at 151st spot.

But India’s overall ranking was skewed by other low performances. In the last EPI, India was ranked 168th.

Among the top-performing countries were all developed nations, mostly European. Denmark got the number 1 spot. The US ranked 43rd on the index, lower than the UAE. China ranked 160th, despite being home to a significant number of cities, with the world’s worst air quality.

Based on the index, the researchers concluded that almost none of the countries are “on track to meet the net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goal established by the 2021 Glasgow Climate Pact”.

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What did India say? Calling the study biased and ‘unscientific’, India pointed out that the index doesn’t look into various other factors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency initiatives, etc. Moreover, India also said that the best-performing countries and the developed nations are the culprits of historical emissions that the index doesn’t account for.

While most developed countries including the US and the UK have pledged to go carbon-neutral by 2050, India said it will need time till 2070 to achieve net-zero emissions, being an emerging economy. 

On the other hand, the authors of the index say that the ranking is based on existing performance. 

Last updated: June 10, 2022 | 16:16
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