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In our modern world, it has never been more important to start practicing environmentally-conscious habits. With global warming on the rise and industrialization taking its toll on our natural resources, we’ve really got to start paying attention to how our daily practices affect our planet. From reducing our water use to recycling to installing solar panels, there are a number of things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.
But while you’re trying to get into the groove of being green, you can look to other countries for some lessons. Here are six countries who are doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint on this Earth, according to Yale’s 2016 Environmental Performance Index.
On Yale’s Index, Finland ranked fourth in health impacts and eighth in fisheries. Finland places much importance on cleaning polluted lakes and rivers, improving air quality and reducing industrial emissions.
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According to Retale, Finland residents are committed to getting full use out of something, so much so that they recycle nine out of ten plastic bottles and containers. The nation also plans to hand out “Adulthood Packages” with needles, threads, screwdrivers and hammers to encourage young adults to fix their torn clothing and broken furniture instead of throwing them out. In doing this, Finland works towards lower factory emissions everyday.
Additionally, the EPI (Environmental Performance Index) says that Finland has made a “societal commitment to achieve a carbon-neutral society that does not exceed nature’s carrying capacity by 2050.”
Bhutan has been hailed as one of the greenest countries on Earth and that’s because its carbon emissions are so low. As EcoWatch points out, Bhutan is not only carbon neutral, it’s also a carbon sink, which makes it one of the few countries in the world to have negative carbon emissions.
“According to recent figures, the country emits around 1.5 million tons of carbon annually, while its forests absorb over 6 million tonnes,” Proudly Carbon Neutral writes.
More than half of Bhutan’s land is protected as national parks and everyone who lives in Bhutan is obliged under the constitution to help protect the environment. They also try to manage their tourism, employing a “low-impact, high-value approach.”
Additionally, the country wants to become 100 percent organic by 2020. In 2011, the Bhutan government launched the National Organic Program and strives to teach farmers organic practices in order to reduce waste and decrease the country’s dependence on imported food.
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Botswana made it a top priority to become a Green Economy. It pays special attention to agriculture, energy, transport, water, tourism, community-based natural resource management and waste management.
One of the ways the country formalized its dedication to the conservation of its natural resources was by creating the National Ecotourism Strategy. The Botswana Ecotourism Certification System outlines more than 240 performance standards and is “designed to encourage and support responsible environmental, social and cultural behavior by tourism businesses, and to provide a quality, eco-friendly product to consumers,” Ecotourism writes.
This is important because the country is abundant in wildlife. It is, for instance, home to 40 percent of Africa’s entire elephant population. The country receives between 2.6 to 2.7 million visitors, which is more than the population of Botswana.
Botswana’s ranking makes it clear that changes like using solar-powered boats and electrical vehicles makes a big difference. Many of the lodges tourists stay in are also eco-friendly. Chobe Game Lodge, for example, is one of the country’s luxurious facilities that prides itself on its environmental focus.
“Our goal is to, in the next 18 months to 24 months, offer our guests a total emission-free, carbon-free game viewing experience,” Johan Brewer, general manager of Chobe Game Lodge, tells CNN.
Sweden is often referred to as the “most sustainable country in the world.” According to Environmental Leader, the country has earned this title because of its use of renewable energy sources, carbon dioxide emissions and social governance practices.
For example, the country has drastically reduced its greenhouse gas emissions in the housing and service sectors by shifting from oil to district heating. By centralizing the way buildings are heated and cooled, the central plant can be advanced to use more sustainable and clean forms of fuel, according to the Swedish Institute.
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Additionally, in 1995 Sweden became one of the first countries to initiate a carbon tax. This tax is placed on carbon-intensive fuels such as oil and natural gas and has helped cut down Sweden’s dependency on fossil fuels.
And with its Roadmap 2050 plans, Sweden aims to be the world’s first fossil fuel-free nation. First Carbon Solutions explains that in order to do this, Sweden needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent by 2020. Not only that, but it needs to have a vehicle fleet that does not rely on fossil fuels by 2030. In order to do this, the Swedish government invested 4.4 billion krone (around $633 million) of its 2016 budget to solar and win energy, smart grids and clean transport. To make the budget increase possible, the country set heavy taxes on diesel and petrol fuel as well as the sale of coal mines, says First Carbon Solutions.
On the Yale 2016 Environmental Performance Index, Malta scored a whopping 88.48 out of 100. Their major strengths include air quality, water, sanitation, biodiversity and habitat. They ranked number one in water and sanitation.
This is the case because half of Malta’s water supply comes from desalination plants. According to Common Wealth of Nations, 56 percent of Malta’s potable water was produced through seawater desalination in 2010.
Additionally, Malta has attained funding from the European Commission and the Minority Rights Group International to implement their project, “Water for Life – Malta.” This project aims to raise awareness about the waste of water by comparing it with the lack of access to drinking water in developing countries (due to climate change, droughts and pollution). Essentially, this project wants to encourage the country’s citizens to take action and help finance water-based projects in developing countries.
“The idea is in turn to draw on the global dimension of citizenship, which means being able to empathize even with people living on a different continent,” the Solidarity Overseas Service Malta website writes. “And [it means] understanding that society’s actions have an impact on other people within an increasingly globalized world.”
Although we have made great progress in terms of creating a clean Earth, these countries have made made leaps and bounds in terms of purifying our world and creating a clean and healthy environment.
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