Sustainability and eco-friendly practices are important to many countries around the world. Many countries realize how important it is to replenish what you use and try to use less of it. Other countries, do not feel this way. Whether it is because they are interested in bigger profits, bigger production, or simply getting by, they do not place much importance on eco-friendly ways. Take a look at the best and worst countries in eco-friendly practices to compare.
The Top Eco Friendly Countries
The top eco-friendly countries all have sustainable practices for energy, transportation, food production, and more. Not surprisingly, these countries are some of the wealthiest in the world as well.
Iceland has one of the most sustainable countries in the world. Iceland gets most of its energy from renewable sources. They use the natural source of geothermal resources and rivers as the generation of their electricity.
Switzerland employs a huge amount of eco-friendly practices into the country as a whole. Switzerland has some of the strictest carbon emission laws in the world. They also transform organic waste into fuel. Switzerland takes advantage of geothermal resources for energy production. They also encourage all businesses in the country to perform green practices.
Costa Rica is a surprisingly green country. The country spends a lot of time, money, and resources protecting the natural environments and rain forests in Costa Rica. Costa Rica uses a surprising lack of global resources, and it has some of the cleanest air in the world.
Sweden has been involved in green practices for decades. They have many green offerings, including green-powered rail lines and other public transportation, clean energy sources from wind and solar power, and encourage their businesses to use sustainable business practices on a daily basis.
Least Eco Friendly Countries
Not surprisingly, most countries that are the least eco-friendly are the poorer countries. When you struggle to feed your citizens on a daily basis, less thought is given to how “green” each of your actions are. The following countries have a low eco-friendliness score.
Nigeria has a poor environment from polluted waters and industrial waste. Their health as a nation is greatly reduced and impacted by non-green living practices. Due to lack of water, the country over-farms the little fertile ground that exists. This leads to soil erosion and poor-quality foods. Industry in Nigeria also gives little thought to the environment.
Pakistan is also low on the environmentally-friendly score sheet. The country produces a large amount of oil, which damages the ground. Pakistan too, has reduced fertile areas, leading to the over-farming of natural resources and food sources. Because of excessive mining and oil production, the pollution level is high.
Kuwait is one of the least environmentally-friendly countries in the world. The country has some of the worst air quality in the world, thanks to the over-production of oil in factories. The country also has a lot of disease from pollution and poor-quality water. The water is some of the worst in the world as well.
The marked contrast between the most eco-friendly countries and the least is not surprising, but still shocking. The world will have to go a long way before every country adopts green living practices. Until then, each person should make the best effort they can to reduce their personal environmental consumption.