A detailed report by the scientists was presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week.
The top five in the overall ranking also included Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom. The next places in the top ten were taken by Austria, Denmark, Canada, Malaysia, and Ireland. The worst environmental record is in Niger (last place in the ranking), Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Pakistan, Angola, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, and Chad.
The first ranking of its kind, compiled on the basis of data on water and air quality, greenhouse gas emissions, forest conservation efforts, and several other factors, revealed significant differences among countries with roughly similar quality of life, resource consumption, and levels of environmental pollution. For example, the United States ranked only 28th. Researchers recognized the water in the United States as the best in the world, but considered the situation with sustainable and renewable energy sources in that country to be unfavorable.
The best indicators of the sanitary and hygienic condition of the environment are in Sweden, France, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Finland. The cleanest air, according to scientists, is in Uganda, Gabon, Rwanda, Burundi, and Ghana. //Lenta.ru
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