The Greendex from National Geographic compares your green score with citizens around the world
In many circles, India and China are considered to be the fuming smoke stacks of the world, with Western politicians pointing to huge increases in Co2 emissions from the East as the perfect cover for lacklustre environmental performances at home.
However, at the individual consumer level things look very different for India and China according to the new "Greendex" index of consumer behaviours and attitudes from National Geographic. According to the Greendex, India, China and Brazil have been ranked no.1 in environmental performance, far ahead of the USA and much of Europe who have been awarded some of the lowest scores. The results will be surprising to some, and show how individual attitudes do not necessarily reflect government policies.
The Greendex provides an insight into the difference between political and personal attitudes to the environment following a survey of of 14,000 consumers in 14 countries. Questioned on attitudes towards energy use and conservation, transportation, food sources, use of green products as well as general knowledge on the environment and sustainability, survey participants have enabled researchers to provide a quantitative index showing just how differently environmental issues are prioritised around the world. By answering the same questionnaire online, you can also see where you fit on the Greendex scale.
So just why do apparently environmentally contentious consumers in Europe fare so poorly against those in developing nations – a result which goes against conventional thinking that environmentalism is often considered a nice-to-have in poorer nations which have more pressing priorities?
To uncover this mystery, researchers first asked participants about their "top of mind" issues – the things which concern them on a daily basis. Whilst many Westerners cited money and unemployment as top of their worry list, in rapidly growing nations the top concerns were those of governance and management of resources. These concerns translate into a far greater awareness of the necessity to conserve finite resources, which is the foundation of the high Greendex scores.
The principle exception to this rule is Australia, where the effects of global warming and climate change were considered by respondents to be a top priority.
So how did I do?
My own score was actually far better than expected, putting my personal performance in the same league as the top scorers. However, being honest, my score was more to do with luck in having good access to public transport, the proximity of my office to my home, the modern and energy efficient appliances in my apartment, and the fact that I am too mean to buy a large plasma TV.
This to some extent reinforces the environmental connection between governments and individuals: I can be green because it’s easy for me, and that’s party due to the planning and infrastructure priorities that have been set here by the Swiss government – it’s only because busses where I live come on time that I have a positive attitude towards them!
Reminding us of this connection, the Greendex report concludes with the statement "These results pose a challenge to governments and companies to make more sustainable choices available to consumers, and to consumers to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviours."
A worthy challenge indeed.
Further information:
MC Milker writes on the US performance in the Greendex index at Ecopreneurist
Ecoworldy coverage on global environmental performance rankings
I liked this test because the way the questions were phrased was generally neutral and unweighted, which give the results more credibility. Thanks for the interesting piece and comparison of countries!
Thanks for providing a link to the questionnaire, Mark. My own score was 55.0, just short of the top bracket, but at least as good as the “greenest” Russians, Australians, Germans and mexicans
But on a more serious note, I have seen comments on other websites expressing disbelief to the rankings – statements that China is one of the biggest polluters, and questions about Brazil’s deforestation rates. I think most people viewing the survey results are missing the point of the “Greendex 2008″ ranking – that its not about the energy or environmental performance of the 14 countries as a whole, but based on data collected on consumer choices and their lifestyle sustainability.
Anyway, to help clear up the uncertainty or confusion in interpreting the results, I posted the explanation by Terry Garcia (of National Geographic) over on the GO Forums.
Thanks for that Karl – I saw some of the mis-comprehension out there too..