2012 Environmental Performance Index and Pilot Trend Environmental Performance Index

The 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranks 132 countries on 22 performance indicators in the following 10 policy categories: environmental burden of disease, water (effects on human health), air pollution (effects on human health), air pollution (ecosystem effects), water resources (ecosystem effects), biodiversity and habitat, forestry, fisheries, agriculture and climate change. These categories track performance and progress on two broad policy objectives, environmental health and ecosystem vitality.

Each indicator has an associated environmental public health or ecosystem sustainability target. The EPI's proximity-to-target methodology facilitates cross-country comparisons among economic and regional peer groups. The Pilot Trend Environmental Performance Index (Trend EPI) ranks countries on the change in their environmental performance over the last decade.