India ranks 176th in the latest Environmental Performance Index, second lowest globally, according to the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), a widely recognized global assessment that measures countries’ progress on environmental health, ecosystem vitality, and climate change mitigation. India received an overall EPI score of 22.46 out of 100, placing it just above Laos, which ranked last with a score of 21.78. In contrast, Estonia topped the rankings with 74.79 points, reflecting strong climate policies and biodiversity conservation.

Although India remains near the bottom of the global rankings, the report also notes that the country’s environmental performance has improved over the past decade, with a 10-year gain of 7.47 points, indicating gradual progress despite persistent environmental challenges.

<img class="aligncenter wp-image-87103 size-full" src="https://sigmaearth.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Indias-Climate-Progress-720-x-480-px-1200-x-628-px-1080-x-1080-px-Website-57.png" alt="India ranks 176th in latest Environmental Performance Index” width=”1366″ height=”768″ />

What Is the Environmental Performance Index?

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is published every two years by researchers from institutions including Yale University and Columbia University. It evaluates countries using scientific data, satellite observations, and internationally recognized environmental indicators.

The 2026 edition assessed 177 countries across 47 environmental indicators grouped into 12 issue categories under three major policy objectives:

• Environmental Health (25%): covering issues such as air quality and pollution exposure.
• Ecosystem Vitality (45%): measuring biodiversity protection, forest conservation, habitat protection, and sustainable resource management.
• Climate Change Mitigation (30%): assessing trends in greenhouse gas emissions, including carbon dioxide and methane.

For the first time, the 2026 index also introduced grassland conversion as an indicator, recognizing the important role grasslands play in carbon storage and ecosystem services.

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India’s Performance Across Categories

Despite its overall low ranking, India’s performance varied across the three policy areas.

The country ranked:

• 174th in Environmental Health
• 171st in Ecosystem Vitality
• 130th in Climate Change Mitigation

These rankings suggest that while India continues to face serious challenges related to pollution, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem management, its climate policies have shown comparatively better performance than several other environmental indicators.

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Europe Continues to Lead

European nations dominated the top positions in the 2026 rankings.

• Estonia retained the world’s highest ranking, largely due to significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through expanded renewable electricity generation and the gradual phase-out of fossil fuel production.
• The remaining top five positions were occupied by Luxembourg, the United Kingdom, Finland, and the Netherlands.
• Researchers also highlighted Estonia’s strong performance in biodiversity conservation and ecosystem protection.

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Signs of Progress Despite Low Ranking

Although India ranks 176th in the latest Environmental Performance Index, the report highlights one encouraging trend.

India recorded a positive 10-year improvement of 7.47 points, outperforming several countries whose environmental scores declined during the same period. According to EPI researchers, India’s long-term progress reflects slower growth in certain air pollutants, including sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) emissions, compared to previous decades.

The report emphasizes that applying the latest EPI methodology to historical data shows a gradual improvement in India’s environmental performance over time, even though major challenges remain.

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Previous Rankings Sparked Debate

India has consistently ranked near the bottom of recent Environmental Performance Index reports.

• EPI 2022: Ranked 180th (last place)
• EPI 2024: Ranked 176th
• EPI 2026: Ranked 176th among 177 countries

Following the 2022 report, the Indian government criticized the index, stating that its methodology relied on “surmises and unscientific methods.” Researchers, however, maintain that the EPI uses globally accepted datasets, scientific indicators, and transparent methodologies that are periodically updated to reflect new environmental priorities.

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