With sustainability being the need of the hour, we check out which countries are the most environment friendly and how. By Anushka Goel
Being environment friendly is the need of the hour, and several countries are slowly taking important steps towards the same. From sustainable development goals to signing green contracts and aiming to meet goals towards a greener economy, several nations are taking necessary steps and introducing laws that can help the economy become cleaner and greener.
Some nations such as Switzerland have voted to implement a green economy, writes Pebble, while some such as Finland are already using more renewable energy, in comparison, to their consumption of fossil fuels, writes The Sustainable Living Guide.
So, as the world slowly moves towards sustainability, we have curated a list of the most environmentally-friendly nations, based on several reports and research. (Please note that the list is in no particular order).
Most environment-friendly countries in the world
Denmark
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Denmark is leading the world in terms of using wind energy. Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, is among the most environmentally-friendly cities in the world. The buses here are moving to electric energy and the roads are being modified to suit bikes and electric bikes, writes Telegraph. The country has also taken several measures to become completely carbon-neutral by 2025. almost half of the country’s energy consumption comes from renewable resources, especially wind!
Sweden
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Sweden is among the most environment-friendly countries in the world. They have the highest percentage of renewable energy usage, writes sustainabilitymag.com, along with the lowest carbon emissions. More than half of the country’s energy comes from renewable resources, and they have further reduced emissions through electric buses, urban farming, and more, and the use of recycling systems, food banks, et cetera have helped them achieve this goal. The country aims to reduce their emissions by 85 percent to 100 percent by 2045. People are also eco-conscious and a large number of them check food and consumer product labels before making a purchase.
Finland
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The happiest country in the world is also among the most environment friendly. The country has clean air and uses more renewable energy than fossil fuels, a remarkable achievement in moving towards sustainability. Further, according to sustainabilitymag.com, polluted water bodies in the countries have been restored, and a major portion of the country is protected as to not disturb the wildlife there.
Switzerland
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One of the things that makes Switzerland so eco-friendly is the fact that they do not have a landfill. The waste is incinerated, creating minimal air pollution. What’s more, they were among the first nations to have voted for implementing a green economy.
Their green goals include reaching OneEarth sustainability by 2050, which includes achieving 100 per cent renewable energy, protection and restoration of 50 percent of global land and oceans, and transition to regenerative and carbon-neutral agriculture.
The country also has an industrial-scale plant that removes about 900 tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air, writes The Sustainable Living Guide. This is the same about produced annually by roughly 200 cars.
Iceland
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According to an article on the United Nations website, Iceland’s economy is largely powered by green energy obtained from thermal and hydro sources. These sources are used to keep streets ice-free and homes and closed spaces heated. The only exemption is the use of fossil fuels for transportation.
Germany
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Companies in Germany are committed to fulfilling their responsibilities towards the environment, making the country among the greenest when it comes to industries. The country also plans on reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 per cent by 2030 and is introducing more ways to use renewable energy. Apart from this, Germany also has a strong recycling programme and aims to close its last nuclear plant by this year. All this is helping Germany become more environment friendly.
France
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France is where the Paris Climate Agreement was drafted, and the country has mandated all new buildings to have roofs partially covered in plants or solar panels. They are also planning on making Paris a more bike-friendly city, and France also has constructed a road made from repurposed material writes Texas Disposal.
Norway
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According to sustainabilitymag.com, Norway has among the most efficient recycling systems, including composting, and the country aims to become completely carbon-neutral by 2030. What’s more, one of the main sources of energy in the country is hydroelectricity, which is also feasible due to the amount of rain it receives. It also has a large number of electric cars plying on its roads.
Austria
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One of the ways Austria plans on becoming carbon neutral is providing citizens with passes to use buses, encouraging them to leave their cars (and thus, vehicular pollution) behind, writes Fortune. What’s more, over 20 percent of the country’s food is organic, writes The Sustainable Living Guide. This is a big step towards regenerating the land, improving soil health and becoming environment friendly.
Netherlands
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According to earth.org, the Netherlands plans to bring its greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent below 1990 levels in the next eight years (i.e. by 2030). The country is also moving towards achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The Netherlands has a lot of renewable energy providers and has systems to improve sustainability, such as pushing for cycling, solar panel bus stations, and more.
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