NEW DELHI: The recently released State of India’s Environment Report 2021 had India positioned at 117 from among the 180 countries evaluated. The report ranked countries on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted as a part of the 2030 agenda.
India’s rank was 115 in last year’s report and has dropped by two ranks this year. The report cited prevalence of major challenges, including ending hunger and achieving food security (SDG 2); achieving gender equality (SDG 5); and building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization and fostering innovation (SDG 9), in the country. India, with an overall SDG score of 61.9 out of 100, ranked below Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
The states with the best score and on the path to achieving the SDGs in India are Kerala, Himachal Pradesh, and Chandigarh. Jharkhand and Bihar lag in five and seven SDGs respectively.
India ranked 168 on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). EPI is calculated on various indicators such as environmental health, climate, air pollution, sanitation, and drinking water, ecosystem services, and biodiversity. It assesses how well countries are protecting their populations from environmental health risks.