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Sweden ranks as the second best overall, out of 133 nations.

EPI - New Zealand ranks first in the world in environmental performance, according to the new 2006 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) produced by a team of environmental experts at the environment school at Yale University and the Earth Institute at Columbia University.

The 2006 EPI, to be released in Davos, Switzerland, at the World Economic Forum on January 26, ranks Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, and the United Kingdom two to five respectively. The top-ranked countries all commit significant resources and effort to environmental protection, resulting in strong performance across most of the policy categories.

So above all, policies matter. Which is of course interesting for the United States which ranks 28th by the same standards.

“The lagging performance of the United States on environmental issues–particularly on energy and climate change—signals trouble not only for the American people, but for the whole world,” said Gus Speth, Dean of the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, in the press release. “Perhaps this ranking will serve as a wake up call to the American public and particularly to leaders in Washington.”