Best and Worst European Countries in Terms of the Environment

Attempting to determine the best and worst European countries in terms of the environment is a difficult task. Countries throughout Europe all have different levels of wealth, industry, population and resources, which all affect the harm or benefits that a country can have towards the environment. One way to look at the environmental rankings of a country is by looking at carbon emissions per capita. This allows a country's greenhouse emissions to be put in context of population. Looking at a country's raw carbon emissions may be misleading because larger countries will obviously have more greenhouse emissions than a small country, but it does not necessarily mean that the small country is more efficient. Another, possibly more effective way of determining the best and worst European countries in term of the environment is by looking at their environmental performance index. This number, which ranges from 1-100, is determined by a variety of factors including: environmental health, air pollution and ecosystem vitality. By looking at combination of these two factors, it is possible to gauge which countries are performing particular well on environmental issues and which countries leave a great deal to be desired.

Europe is filled with some of the best environmentally aware countries in the world and it is reflected in the practices and conditions in the top countries. In terms of the environment, Iceland and Switzerland are two of the best countries in the world. Iceland has an astounding EPI rating of 93.5, scoring in a very high percentile for all categories. Iceland can also boast of having a carbon emissions rating of 7.6 tons per capita in 2007. To put this number in context, the United States was responsible for 18.9 tons of Co2 per capita during the same year. Switzerland is also one of the best countries in the world for the environment with an EPI of 89.1 and one of the lowest carbon output rates for a developed country with 5.1 tons per capita. In recent years, Germany has placed a great deal of focus on environmental issues and has earned an EPI of 73.2 along with a carbon emissions level of 9.6 tons per capita. Other noteworthy European countries are Norway, France, Italy and France, who all have EPI ratings over 70 and carbon emissions below 10 tons per capita. Through commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and tending to numerous environmental issues, these countries have earned the title as best European countries in terms of the environment.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, there are many European countries that perform very poorly in terms of the environment. Among the continent's worst environmental countries are the Ukraine, Macedonia, Moldova and Greece. The Ukraine has one of the lowest EPI scores in Europe with a 58.2 and Moldova is barely above with a rating of 58.8. Greece and Macedonia also have notably low EPI scores with ratings of 60.9 and 60.6 respectively. As low as the EPI ratings are for these countries are, apart from Greece their carbon emissions are all relatively lower per capita and are below 7 tons per capita. Out of the four countries listed, Greece has the highest carbon emissions rates with 8.8 tons of carbon dioxide being admitted to the atmosphere per capita. Though many of these country's environmental problems are due to lack of financial capability, they are still considered to be some of the worst countries in Europe.

Even within the close-quarters nature of Europe's geography, there are huge disparities in the environmental wellness of countries. While developed, wealthy nations such as Switzerland and Norway flourish, struggling countries such as Macedonia are left in low environmental standing. Hopefully those countries that are considered to be the "best" environmentally, can assist or at the very least, set the example for those who still need much environmental improvement.