The 2026 EPI framework organizes 47 indicators into 12 issue categories across three policy objectives. The weight of each objective is shown as a percentage. Credit: State of the Planet
European countries continue to lead the world in environmental performance, according to the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a biennial assessment produced by researchers at the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy and Columbia Climate School's Center for Integrated Earth System Information (CIESIN). Yet, the new assessment finds that few countries are on track to meet the global goal of net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and that progress has slowed across a range of pollution control and natural resource management challenges.
The report also shows how advances in artificial intelligence are giving researchers a clearer picture of environmental change around the world.
Estonia ranks first in the 2026 EPI, driven in large part by a sharp reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from power generation over the past decade. The country has ramped up renewable electricity and scaled back fossil fuel production while also ranking among the world's top performers on biodiversity and ecosystem protection.
