It is, therefore, no surprise that Kenya ranks among bottom 50 countries in the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) – a biennial scorecard of countries on a range of sustainability issues.
The metrics include air quality, sanitation and drinking water, waste management, forest cover, biodiversity and habitat, air pollution emissions and climate and energy.
According to Yale University researchers, high-scoring countries in the environmental index like Denmark generally exhibit long-standing commitments and carefully constructed programmes to protect public health, conserve natural resources, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
Key takeaways from the 2020 EPI rankings and indicators include:
Good policy results are associated with wealth (GDP per capita)
This means that the more economic prosperous a country is, the more likely it is likely to invest in policies and programmes that lead to desirable sustainable outcomes, ensuring quality citizenry well-being.
This trend is especially true for issues such as building the necessary infrastructure to provide clean drinking water and sanitation, reduce ambient air pollution, control hazardous waste, and respond to public health crises.
