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Green Nations
From WikiVerde
It is now evident that unless countries get their act together in terms of the various environmental issues plaguing them, they might face numerous natural disasters in the years to come. Over time, quite a lot of countries have started highlighting green issues and have put in place various rules and regulations that would help in the conservation of their natural environment.
Here is a list of the ten greenest nations in the world. Their ‘green’ status and ranking is based on parameters drawn up by the United Nations Human Development index in conjunction with the Sustainable Development Index and the World Economic Forum.
The various parameters include amongst other things, environmental sustainability, quality of air, water, and soil, impact of efforts on quality of life, policies to combat the growing threats to the environment, etc.
Top 10 Green Nations
1. Finland – Arguably, the Most Livable Country in The World
Over a long period of time, Finland has consistently been rated as one of the leading countries whose standards of environmental protection are far better than most other countries. The inherent strengths of this Scandinavian country include superior effective environmental administration and extremely practical legislations. Moreover, the ways and means of environmental protection give due consideration to all the sectors of Finnish society. Add to that, its low population density and a largely intact natural environment and you have a perfect composition for fruitful nature conservation.
2. Iceland – Where Environment is Synonymous With Development
One of the main features of Iceland’s environmental policy is the sustainable use of nature for the purposes of development. This essentially means that the conservation of environment in Iceland is directly linked to the overall development of the country. More importantly, it is the various policies, whose strict adherence to, has made Iceland, the second greenest country in the world. Its limited use of hydro-carbon fuels means the air is noticeably cleaner, resulting in a much improved quality of life. The one thing in its favor is that it has an abundance of natural energy resources, largely geo-thermal in nature, which contribute in the effective control of emission of pollutant gases etc.
3. Norway – Nature Conservation at its Best
The success of Norway with regards to overall conservation and protection of environment is a direct result of well-entrenched policies and legislation for the same. As a result it ranks highly in various human health and welfare indices as it continuously seeks to improve the quality of air, water, and soil at various local levels. Furthermore, Norway very stringently maintains a healthy natural environment and tries to minimize or nullify large scale, long-term, negative environmental changes.
4. Sweden – Primary Focus on Conservation
Sweden is putting a great deal of attention on environmental protection and has been at the forefront of putting in place a national policy whose prime focus is ecologically sustainable development. The country has also been helped in its efforts by its slow population growth, and a highly effective public and private conservation movement. These have been instrumental in preserving Sweden’s extensive forest resources.
5. Austria – The Sound of Nature
Austria is the most densely forested country, compared to other countries in Central Europe. One of the main reasons for this is its stringent policy on the matter of forest harvesting. The Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection has given due importance to various efforts like environmental protection, waste disposal, pollutant levels in air, industrial emissions, etc. The public is also made a part of these efforts and are given access to various data related to environmental protection in Austria.
6. Switzerland – Doing Its Bit For Ages
Every year, hundreds of thousands of tourists make their way to Switzerland to immerse themselves in the glory of nature. These mesmeric natural preserves are a result of strict environmental legislation that dates back to 1876. As can be seen, before anybody else, the Swiss were well aware of the importance of environmental protection and enacted laws for the same. One of Switzerland’s, major environmental concerns is air pollution, and it’s a credit to the country that its performance in fighting all kinds of pollution is amongst the best as compared to any other OECD (Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development) countries.
7. Ireland – Success Through Team Effort
The government of Ireland believes in the participation of people when it comes to environmental protection. Environmental success is an outcome of a team effort and Ireland’s success appreciates this fact with aplomb. One of its biggest achievements in recent years was to impose a plastic bag tax. It was levied at the payment counter if you wanted a plastic bag to carry your purchases. This was akin to a public awareness campaign. Today, there is a social non-acceptance of plastic bags.
8. Australia – Conservation Down Under
Australia is one of the world’s most popular tourism hot-spots. It has numerous destinations that are the epitomy in natural beauty and visual appeal. Apart from the environment ministry, the conservation efforts in Australia are propped up by various agencies like The Nature Conservancy and the Australian Conservation Foundation. One of the most recent conservation efforts undertaken in Australia is the reconnection and restoration of a 620 mile swathe of land called the Gondwana Link. It is a biodiversity hotspot and is reputed to be one of the oldest and most isolated surfaces on Earth.
9. Uruguay – Showpiece of South America
Along with Australia, Uruguay is the only other country from the Southern Hemisphere to make it to the list. It might surprise a few people, but it has consistently made it to the list of the most livable and green nations. Most of South America is green, but Uruguay has adopted various conservation measures to preserve and nurture its green cover. This is the reason why it also ranks very highly in the Environment Sustainability Index.
10. Denmark – Not Only Pastries, But Also Environment
Over the years Danish society has woken up to the advantages of conserving their environment. They have taken great care not to put pressure on the environment, as a result of growth in production. There is strict control on emissions in the atmosphere as a result of energy production, in accordance with pre-designated goals and figures.
