The country ranked first after reducing greenhouse gas emissions from electricity production while expanding renewable energy. Estonia also earned recognition for protecting biodiversity and aims to meet its annual electricity demand with renewable energy by 2030.

Credits: Unsplash; Author: Stefan Hiienurm;

The biennial Environmental Performance Index assesses 177 countries across climate, biodiversity and environmental health indicators. Estonia scored 75 out of 100, highlighting continued challenges despite leading the rankings. Researchers said most countries remain off track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 and warned that further policies will be needed to accelerate global emissions reductions.