Rabat – Morocco ranks 160th out of 180 in the global Environmental Performance Index (EPI) with a similar overall score as China, earning 28.6 out of 100 points.
The EPI provides an overview of the state of sustainability worldwide through the study of 40 performance indicators to provide guidance to countries wishing to adopt sustainable solutions. The index, produced by Yale University and funded by the McCall MacBain Foundation of Canada, bases its scoring (0-100) on “trusted sources” from international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and academic researchers
Yet even the global leader in environmental performance, Denmark, falls short of achieving the 100 mark, as it scored 77.9.
EPI further focuses on three axes, ecosystem vitality, health, and climate policy where Morocco ranked 164 (out of 180), 123, and 135, in the respective order.
The three axes are further divided into 11 indices and even more sub-indices. As for Morocco, the country provided a varying performance in the indicators.
The North African country, for instance, ranked first globally with a perfect score in the SO2 -toxic gas- growth rate indicator, reflecting the country’s good management of the SO2 emissions. However, 44 other countries also received 100 in the performance indicator including Spain, Tunisia, the US, and China.
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Still, Morocco ranked 163th in biodiversity, 143th in air quality, 107th in sanitation and drinking water, 92th in waste management, as well as 135th in climate policy.
The Kingdom ranked 14th in the Great Middle East region, ahead of only two counties, Iraq (169th) and Sudan (171th).
Regionally, the United Arab Emirates topped the regional ranking with an overall score of 52.4 ahead of Israel (57th globally), Jordan (84th), Tunisia (96th), Egypt (127th), and Algeria (155th).
The results of the EPI demonstrate the need for Morocco to reinforce its efforts in preserving ecosystems, protecting human health, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions for climate change mitigation purposes.
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