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<ul><li><keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> ranked at the last position with an <keyword id="14140648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="EPI-score" source="Orion">EPI score</keyword> of 18.9.</li><li>Denmark topped the list with an EPI score of 77.90.</li><li>India's score dropped mainly in Ecosystem Vitality and Climate Policy</li></ul>In spite of rolling out several initiatives like Sashakt Bharat, Swachh Bharat, Sanatan Bharat and many more, India was ranked at the bottom-most at the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022. The report indicates that India is the least environmentally sustainable country among the 180 countries assessed. India scored the lowest EPI — 18.9 — as per a report by Yale Center for Environmental Law &amp; Policy, Yale University, Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University and McCall MacBain Foundation. The report provides a data-driven summary of the state of <keyword id="49089" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainability" source="Orion">sustainability</keyword> around the world using 40 performance indicators across 11 issue categories. The EPI ranks 180 countries on their progress toward improving environmental health, protecting ecosystem vitality, and mitigating climate change. While Denmark was the most sustainable country with an EPI score of 77.90, followed by the United Kingdom (77.70 score) and Finland (76.50 score). As per the EPI 2022 report, India witnessed a major drop in scores around Ecosystem Vitality and Climate Policy. Among these two categories, a major chunk of drop in EPI score can be attributed to species habitat index, loss of ecosystem services, unsustainable fishing, carbon emissions from land cover and greenhouse gas emissions per capita. Peer countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Turkey and Sudan have also scored better than India, as per the EPI 2022 report. “These indicators measure how close countries are to meeting internationally established sustainability targets for specific environmental issues. While the overall EPI scores provide a way to spotlight sustainability leaders and call out laggards, the accompanying disaggregated data offers a more refined tool for identifying policy weaknesses and anomalies, as well as proven programs that countries can adopt from their top-performing peers,” said EPI in the report. The government of India has been working tirelessly towards the 2030 sustainability goals (<keyword id="450172" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SDGs" source="Orion">SDGs</keyword>) for a long time. However, the country needs a whopping investment of at least $2.64 trillion to meet the SDGs, as per a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/india-needs-2-64-tn-investment-to-meet-sdgs-by-2030-report/articleshow/73492931.cms?from=mdr">report</a> by Standard Chartered SDG Investment Map. Meanwhile, India continues to help developing countries across the globe to achieve their sustainability objectives. As per a UN <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/memberstates/india" data-type="tilCustomLink">report</a>, India supports developing countries through the $150 million India-UN Development Partnership Fund for realizing the 2030 Agenda. These regional and global partnerships are part of India’s commitment to ‘leave no one behind’. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/after-amazon-flipkart-reliance-and-tata-neu-indias-133-billion-ecommerce-market-may-be-too-little-for-a-fifth-player/articleshow/92062540.cms">After Amazon, Flipkart, Reliance and Tata Neu, India's $133 billion ecommerce market may be too little for a fifth player</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="http://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/cyberthreats-corporate-exodus-are-a-part-of-the-10-disruptions-caused-by-the-russia-ukraine-war/slidelist/92061878.cms">Cyberthreats, corporate exodus are a part of the 10 disruptions caused by the Russia-Ukraine war</a>

Is India world's least sustainable country? Environmental Performance Index 2022 ranks India last among  180 countries

A piece of bad news hit <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>’s green ambitions events this month! The country, aiming to go full throttle with its environmental missions this decade, ended up ranking last among 180 countries assessed on their ecological impact. The Environmental Performance Index 2022 (<keyword id="311384" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="epi" source="Orion">EPI</keyword>) report ranked Afghanistan (81st), Bhutan (85th), <keyword id="6354908" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="maldives" source="Orion">Maldives</keyword> (113th), Sri Lanka (132nd), Nepal (162nd), Pakistan (176th), Bangladesh (177th), above India (180th) in terms of environmental performance. The EPI ranks countries based on how close they might be to achieving specific 2050 international climate targets, along with their performance in environmental health and ecosystem vitality. Therefore, a high ranking indicates that the country has longstanding and continual environmental protection schemes and policies that are at work. As per the report, the top five best-performing countries (in order) include Denmark, the UK, Finland, Malta and Sweden, which all belong to the Global-West region. In a not-so-surprising turn of events since the <keyword id="6354862" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="trump" source="Orion">Trump</keyword> administration, the US ranked only 43rd overall, a distinct outlier as most wealthy countries also typically displayed high EPI score-sheets. Asia-Pacific countries also performed quite terribly overall, with only two countries breaking the top 50 — Japan (25th) and Singapore (50th). These rankings by the EPI are determined upon 40 rigorous performance indicators that seek to indicate the state of national efforts to protect environmental health, enhance ecosystem vitality and mitigate climate change. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How did India fare?" comment="subhead" text="How did India fare?">How did India fare?</cmsannotation> Aside from the overall rankings, the EPI also lists individual performance scores for each indicator for each of the participating countries. Some of these indicators are clubbed into groups based on their similarities, and an overall "category score" or rank is assigned. For example, in the health category, India ranks 178th among all the countries included. This category assesses factors such as air quality, sanitation, drinking water and waste management of the country. A different indicator that seeks to assess the health of our forests and their flora and fauna is the Ecosystem Vitality index. Despite our extensive forest cover and abundant biodiversity, India appears to have failed in providing the appropriate safeguards, ranking only 178th overall. On a brighter note, however, India fared somewhat better in the fishery category, claiming the 42nd place overall. According to the EPI, our fish stock — a subdivision of the fishery category that assesses our dependence on overexploited or collapsed stocks — places us among the top 20 in the world. While this is indeed a small and much-needed win, it may also be important to note that the February IPCC report predicted climate change to cause a severe decline in our fisheries, meaning this ranking could be for nought unless we strictly implement better fishing safeguards immediately. As for agriculture-related indices — an industry our economy is heavily dependent upon — a similar story can be seen in our pesticide consumption, where India has been ranked as the 47th most responsible pesticide user in the world. India is the largest exporter of rice and many other commonly used agricultural products. In order for us to continue production at current levels and still meet climate targets, it is important that we continue to innovate sustainable practices to up our farming game. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Other EPI conclusions" comment="subhead" text="Other EPI conclusions">Other EPI conclusions</cmsannotation> While these are indeed "victories", it is necessary that we do not get hung up on them. The EPI report serves as a grim reminder that there is always more work to do, especially in a rapidly developing economy such as India. For example, the report's projections show that India is likely to join China, Russia and the US to become the largest emitter of greenhouse emissions by 2050. Furthermore, unless climate regulations and efforts are strictly reinforced, a group of 24 countries known as "the dirty two dozen" — which includes India, unfortunately — would account for up to 80% of total global emissions by 2050. The EPI report also gives an explanation for some of the low rankings. According to them, most bottom-tier countries have been afflicted by war or other upheavals, making investing in environmental infrastructure unfortunately very difficult for these nations. They further go on to point out that India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Pakistan have suffered low ranks because of this very reason, having prioritised economic growth over environmental sustainability. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India Rejects Its Ranking" comment="subhead" text="India Rejects Its Ranking">India Rejects Its Ranking</cmsannotation> The EPI methodology is framed by the <keyword id="14328080" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="yale-center-for-environmental-law-and-policy" source="Orion">Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy</keyword> and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University. While they claim that the methodology has been refined over two decades of meticulous data collection and assessment, India has since determined that there is much to be improvised upon. In a statement early this month, India rejected its low ranking, claiming that many of the indicators used to assess the EPI are based on "unfounded assumptions," with some of them "extrapolated and based on surmises and unscientific methods." It is worth noting that India's score has dropped by 0.60 since the last evaluation in 2021. However, this could mean nothing as the EPI continually claims that scores calculated using old methodologies are not comparable to current scores due to changes in ranking methodology. While that may be true, it might also be noteworthy that India slipped from 168th place in 2020 to 177th place in 2021. Elaborating on their stance in the statement, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC) said that many important factors had been ignored in the new methodology that went into the study, such as taking a longer time period into account. They also asserted that the EPI had revised weightages of certain important indicators without explanation, which resulted in poor scores for India. They also said that quite a few important indicators were omitted in the calculation of the scores, such as indicators of water quality, water use efficiency, waste generation per capita, agro biodiversity, soil health, and food loss and waste — which includes some indicators important for developing countries with large agrarian populations such as India. Additionally, the statement noted: "The Index emphasises the extent of <keyword id="460145" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="protected-areas" source="Orion">Protected Areas</keyword> rather than the quality of protection that they afford. Management Effectiveness Evaluation of Protected areas and eco-sensitive regions are not factored into the computation of Biodiversity Indices." With threats such as water, scarcity predicted to put as much as 40% of the population under distress by 2050, what actions India decides to take next will certainly play a major role in determining what type of life we and our children will lead in the future. We stand to be one of the most "economically harmed" nations due to climate change, threatened by rising sea levels and water scarcity that seems ready to consume our country in the coming years. If anything, we hope that this report serves as a reminder to our country to take more stringent measures and have better political safeguards in place, in order to protect us and future generations against any lingering horrors of climate inaction.

What Happened to Green India? Ranked Lowest as per Environmental Performance Index, India Disputes Methodology

<ul><li>Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban Mission to make Indian cities ‘garbage free’ last year.</li><li>About 2.24 billion tonnes of waste was generated in 2020, and if all this waste is put on trucks they would go around the world a little over 24 times.</li><li>India was ranked at the bottom position of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, with 151st position in <keyword id="6359012" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="waste-management" source="Orion">waste management</keyword>.</li></ul>It was less than a year ago that Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the second phase of the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban Mission to make all cities of India ‘garbage free’. Indian micro, small and medium enterprises (<keyword id="6358354" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="msme" source="Orion">MSME</keyword>) are struggling everyday in order to make that dream of Swachh Bharat into a reality. India faces major environmental challenges associated with waste generation and inadequate waste collection, transport, treatment and disposal. The current systems in India are not able to cope with the volumes of waste generated — about <a href="https://waste-management-world.com/recycling/recycling-in-india-a-market-in-transition/">960 million tonnes</a> of it — by an increasing urban population, and this impacts on the environment and public health. “As per Material Recycling Association (MRAI) India’s recycling rate stands at 30%. The data associated with this recycling rate is largely dominated by highly recyclable materials such as ferrous and non-ferrous scrap, paper, rubber, and tyre etc,” Anurag Asati, co-founder of a waste management company The Kabadiwala, told Business Insider. He noted that the recycling of materials such as plastics is “not very well documented” as a lot of recyclables in the daily garbage and litter does not get collected/recycled because of its low value. Some of it is also informally recycled by waste pickers and kabadiwala associations. The Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban Mission plan relies on a multi pronged strategy — segregate solid waste on source; follow the 3Rs of Reducing, Reusing and Recycling; scientifically process all types of municipal solid waste; and remediate legacy dumpsites for effective solid waste management. This may help, but the growing consumerism is just adding more challenges to the bucket. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Consumerism, fast fashion are making waste management expensive" comment="subhead" text="Consumerism, fast fashion are making waste management expensive">Consumerism, fast fashion are making waste management expensive</cmsannotation> About <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/urbandevelopment/brief/solid-waste-management">2.24 billion tonnes</a> of waste was generated in 2020 as per The World Bank’s data, and if all this waste is put on trucks they would go around the world a little over <a href="https://www.globalrecyclingday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Amazing-things-made-out-of-recycled-goods-2020.pdf">24 times</a>. “With rapid population growth and urbanization, annual waste generation is expected to increase by 73% from 2020 levels to 3.88 billion tonnes in 2050,” the global organisation added. Increasing consumerism and fast fashion trends have pushed consumers to purchase more, leading to an increased contribution to solid waste. “99% of what we buy is discarded <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/10/1021972">within six months</a>, which is one of the key reasons for these alarming numbers,” Monisha Narke, founder of RUR Greenlife said, citing data from the United Nations. That type of waste is difficult to recycle too as they are difficult to collect, Asati of The Kabadiwala said. “Disposal of material like multi-layer packaging, single-use plastic, styrofoam, old clothes is difficult because the collection and processing of this kind of waste requires a lot of effort and resources which makes it expensive,” he noted. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Lack of awareness, budget and consistent policy is an issue too" comment="subhead" text="Lack of awareness, budget and consistent policy is an issue too">Lack of awareness, budget and consistent policy is an issue too</cmsannotation> Lack of awareness, budget, financial viability and infrastructure are some other challenges that India’s waste management system is facing. According to the World Bank, effective waste management is expensive, often comprising 20%–50% of municipal budgets. The lack of land in metropolitan areas like Mumbai and other Tier I cities is making recycling even more difficult and expensive, Narke noted. India was ranked at the bottom position of the <a href="https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/country/ind">Environmental Performance Index </a>(EPI) 2022, with 151st position in waste management, 165th position in climate policy. The country also scored low on rule of law, control of corruption and government effectiveness. Apart from the basic awareness, India also needs clearer policies around solid waste management systems in India. “MSME policy and schemes in the waste management sector should be clearer and conducive as it will help form proper structure and processes. Frequent changes in the policies makes it difficult to modify the service/product in the given time frame,” Asati added. He emphasized that the government helps promote MSME and green entrepreneurship culture, but there needs to be more focus on tax rebates, subsidies in land and electricity. “The government can also provide community spaces for storing and material recovery facilities for waste management,” Narke added. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/adani-enterprises-maruti-suzuki-infosys-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-june-27/slidelist/92481042.cms">Adani Enterprises, Maruti Suzuki, Infosys among stocks to watch out for on June 27</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/oil-prices-could-slump-to-75-a-barrel-in-a-recession-or-jump-to-150-if-european-sanctions-slam-russian-supplies-bofa-says/articleshow/92474354.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Oil prices could slump to $75 a barrel in a recession — or jump to $150 if European sanctions slam Russian supplies, BofA says</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/tesla-is-laying-off-workers-who-only-just-started-and-withdrawing-employment-offers-as-elon-musks-job-cuts-begin/articleshow/92470514.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Tesla is laying off workers who only just started and withdrawing employment offers as Elon Musk's job cuts begin</a>

MSMEs can aid waste management in India but need more hand holding

<ul><li>About 99% of what we buy ends up in the trashcan within the first six months.</li><li>The fashion industry produces and sells somewhere between 80-150 billion garments a year globally.</li><li>India was ranked at the bottom position of the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) 2022, with 151st position in <keyword id="6359012" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="waste-management" source="Orion">waste management</keyword>.</li></ul>Did you know that <a href="https://news.un.org/en/story/2018/10/1021972">99% of what we buy</a> ends up in the trashcan within the first six months, which is the key reason why waste is piling up at an alarming rate on an annual basis. From the small plastic showpiece for your desk to the top you bought from the supermarket, most of the things one buys ends up polluting the environment in more ways than one. Anurag Asati, co-founder of The Kabadiwala — a waste management company that has recycled over 1.8 crore kilograms of waste — told Business Insider India that old clothes along with multi-layer packaging (used for food and beverages), single-user plastic and styrofoam are difficult to collect and process. Therefore, they require a lot of effort and resources for proper waste management, which makes it an expensive affair. Rising <keyword id="90139" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumerism" source="Orion">consumerism</keyword> and the trends of <keyword id="1756943" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fast-fashion" source="Orion">fast fashion</keyword> is not making it any easier to manage these wasteful expenses. India is among the top five apparel manufacturing markets in India and one of the biggest global hubs of fast fashion garments that are exported to Europe and US. The country’s fashion <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/its-food-not-fashion-where-price-pinches-as-shopping-bags-retailer-coffers-are-swelling/articleshow/92515313.cms">demand is also growing</a>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The waste ends up in the landfills if not managed properly" comment="subhead" text="The waste ends up in the landfills if not managed properly">The waste ends up in the landfills if not managed properly</cmsannotation> The fashion industry produces and sells somewhere between <a href="https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2020/1/27/21080107/fashion-environment-facts-statistics-impact">80 billion and 150 billion garments </a>a year globally (2020), which is roughly up to 21 articles per human being on this planet. About three in five of these clothing products end up in the incinerators or landfills within years of production. According to the Waste Management Hierarchy — a scale that ranks waste management options by their environmental impact — landfills are the most harmful to our planet. Clothes do not biodegrade while in a landfill, and could remain there for more than 200 years before decomposing. This also increases the carbon footprint of the garments in the landfill. Globally, an estimated <a href="https://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf">92 million tonnes of textiles waste</a> is created each year, which is equivalent to one <a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/news/one-garbage-truck-of-textiles-wasted-every-second-report-creates-vision-for-change">rubbish truck full of clothes</a> ending up in landfill sites every second. By 2030, <a href="https://globalfashionagenda.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Pulse-of-the-Fashion-Industry_2017.pdf">134 million tonnes </a>of textile waste is expected to be discarded each year. The number stands at more than a million tonnes per year in India, and most of this comes from household sources. As per <a href="https://scroll.in/article/1013398/by-creating-a-false-demand-for-fresh-looks-fast-fashion-is-hurting-the-environment#:~:text=As%20we%20said%2C%20in%20India,municipal%20solid%20waste%20in%20India.">Indian Textile Journal</a>, textile waste is also the third-largest source of municipal solid waste in India. “Fast fashion encourages over consumption through marketing tactics and trend replication. This has evolved into a need for cheap clothing that comes at a cost of unfair wages to workers, synthetic clothing that leaches thousands of microplastics in the environment. This results in harmful impacts on the environment, garment workers, animals, and, ultimately, consumers’ wallets,” Monisha Narke, founder of RUR Greenlife, told Business Insider India. Greenhouse gas emissions by the global textile industry are greater than those from shipping and international air travel combined. Lack of awareness, budget, financial viability and infrastructure are some other challenges that India’s waste management system is facing. According to the World Bank, effective waste management is expensive, often comprising 20-50% of municipal budgets. India was ranked at the bottom position of the <a href="https://epi.yale.edu/epi-results/2022/country/ind">Environmental Performance Index </a>(EPI) 2022, with 151st position in waste management, 165th position in climate policy. The country also scored low on rule of law, control of corruption and government effectiveness. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Reusing, Repurposing or Upcycling is the only way ahead" comment="subhead" text="Reusing, Repurposing or Upcycling is the only way ahead">Reusing, Repurposing or Upcycling is the only way ahead</cmsannotation> Reusing, Repurposing or Upcycling waste items reduces the amount of waste reaching landfill and also reduces the demand for new products. This also reduces the carbon footprint of the garments in the landfill. However, the end product matters in this too. “For eg. I cut a saree and stitch bags out of it – the bag can be used for years together. The same saree I put embellishments and motifs and stick it onto some plastic item using glue and make a décor item out of it. This item may probably be used for a few months and eventually be thrown away,” Narke added, highlighting that a bag would be a sustainable offering. The company diverts over 850 tonnes of bio waste into composting and over 900 tonnes of solid waste into recycling on an annual basis. The alternative is to use sustainable fashion products, but even they come with a cost as the social aspects of <a href="https://hbr.org/2022/01/the-myth-of-sustainable-fashion" data-type="tilCustomLink">these are being questioned.</a> “A lot of big brands are now talking about circular economy, give back your used stuff and you can get a discount on your next purchase. They are coming up with lines that say made from recycled or made from sustainable materials.. That change has not reached grass root level,” Vani Hans, consulting head at ESG consulting company Treeni. Hans noted that the carbon footprint of an item is usually calculated through a life cycle assessment method, which takes into account the number of times the item was used for, the products that went into its creation, emissions during transformations and the end result of the article. A user can reduce carbon footprint by buying better quality products, if not sustainable, which will last them longer. The users can also segregate solid waste at source, which makes collection easier. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tesla-reportedly-laid-off-about-200-workers-in-its-autopilot-division/articleshow/92531180.cms">Tesla reportedly laid off about 200 workers in its Autopilot division</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bajaj-consumer-believes-that-its-premium-offerings-must-be-affordable/articleshow/92532710.cms"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/lays-kurkure-and-bingo-are-taking-over-indian-snacks-like-aloo-bhujia/articleshow/92508625.cms">Lay’s, Kurkure and Bingo are taking over Indian snacks like Aloo Bhujia, Murukku</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/paytm-is-on-the-cusp-of-a-cup-and-holder-breakout-explaining-the-rally/articleshow/92517971.cms">Paytm is on the cusp of a ‘cup and holder breakout’ — explaining the rally</a>

You Searched For "India s EPI score" and got 4 results

Is India world's least sustainable country? Environmental Performance Index 2022 ranks India last among 180 countries

Vaamanaa Sethi

What Happened to Green India? Ranked Lowest as per Environmental Performance Index, India Disputes Methodology

Ankush Banerjee

MSMEs can aid waste management in India but need more hand holding

Kritti Bhalla

Impulse buys, fast fashion end up in landfills and stay intact for 200 years

Kritti Bhalla

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