What is the cleanest country in the world?

The absence of visible pollution, air quality, waste management, ecosystem conservation and the promotion of sustainable practices These are some of the characteristics that define a clean country.

Additionally, efforts to reduce carbon emissions, promote renewable energy generation, and implement policies that protect the environment.

In this sense, the world faces enormous challenges, as many of the variables that complicated the environment in the 1980s have worsened significantly.

To evaluate which country adopts the best measures in this regard, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) process the Green Future Indexwhich measures the ability of countries to develop a sustainable future.

What is the cleanest country in the world?

According to the Green Future Index, the 5 cleanest countries in the world in 2023listed in order of merit and according to the cause of their progress, they are:

1. Iceland. Last year, the Icelandic government pushed for a policy to increase the installation of wind energy. On the other hand, the country ranks first for its carbon emission reduction and energy transition policies and second for clean innovation.
2. Finland. With an excellent score in clean innovation, carbon reduction and climate policies. From 2022 the government establishes technical requirements for the construction of low-carbon buildings.
3. Norway. The third on the list stands out for energy transition, clean innovation and climate policy. Norway carries out a policy, in which the private sector participates, to promote “green fuels” that allow the objectives of the energy transition to be achieved.
4. Denmark. The fourth country in the ranking is Denmark, which has dramatically increased taxes that influence the reduction of carbon emissions. With an excellent score in climate policy, it also stands out in green society and energy transition.
5. Sweden. Another Nordic country, Sweden, rounds out the top five places in the index. With good scores in clean innovation, carbon emissions policies, green society and climate policy, the H&M chain has signed a giant energy supply deal there for a solar park under construction.

How to measure the cleanliness of a country

The index of Green future published which indicates the situation in 2023, and clearly dominated by 5 Northern European nations (of great economic power and cultural level), compares in its web reports 76 countries and territories which, together, represent almost 90% of world GDP .

Produced by MIT Technology Review Insight is an “ongoing review of several hundred articles, research reports published by climate action organizations and NGOs, government policy documentation, and scientific literature.”

The authors of the Green Future Index report that it is made up of five pillars of analysis. These are:

• carbon emissionswhich measures how effectively countries are reducing carbon dioxide emissions.
• Energy transitionwhich evaluates the growth rate of clean and renewable energy production.
• Green societywhich measures efforts made to promote “green practices” (waste reduction and recycling, general environmental awareness, protection and planting of trees, etc.).
• Clean innovationthat measures the environment to build a low-carbon future.
• Climate policy From every country.

“These pillars are evaluated collectively and comprehensively the green future of every country based on the progress made in achieving carbon reduction goals and other climate-friendly social activities and the ambitions the country must achieve to maintain a zero-carbon economy,” explains MIT.

European dominance in the merit ranking

As a curiosity of the table of clean countries in the world, Interestingly, 13 of the 15 cleanest countries in the world are Europeanspaced out only by the notable South Korea (in 8th place) and Canada (in 14th place).

United States of America It just came in at 19th place on the stringent cleanliness measurement chart. And the first Latin American country in order of merit it is Costa Rica in 24th place.

Uruguay He is the best South American in 26th place, followed by kilos in 30th place. Argentina It ranks 48th out of 76 countries measured.