We recently compiled a list of the 20 Cleanest Countries In the World In 2024 and in this article, we will look at the cleanest country in the world.
An Analysis of Global Pollution
We recently analyzed the countries that produce the most pollution by taking into account factors such as their air quality, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, waste production, and water quality and sanitation levels. Our analysis of the data reveals a complex array of various elements that contribute to the environmental deterioration and pollution of a country. A considerable percentage of the countries ranked on our list were developed nations and emerging economies. For instance, if we consider the GHG emissions the Global North is responsible for 92% of the total emissions with the US representing 40% of it, followed by the European Union, according to a study by Lancet Planetary Health. This means that the countries in the Global South, which are mostly developing or underdeveloped nations represent only 8% of the total carbon emission. The disparity of this matter is further evident by the consequences of climate change which are more severe in the Global South. The region that is home to over 80% of the total world population has been subjected to climate crisis due to the global average temperature increase in which Global North plays the biggest part. This also suggests a correlation between industrialization and emission levels. Countries in the EU region and the US are the wealthiest and the most technologically and industrially advanced and responsible for the biggest share of this mess.
Certain emerging economies such as India, China, and Indonesia are also advancing rapidly to match the pace of developed nations. These countries have not only witnessed unprecedented economic growth but also a surge in energy consumption, manufacturing, and urbanization. This rapid development has prioritized economic gains in this nation over environmental protection which has led to inefficient waste management, air pollution, deteriorating water quality, and high reliance on fossil fuels. Nonetheless, these countries are investing in clean energy solutions and green technology. But the question that arises is whether this is enough to undo the damage that has been done. Pollution is a multilayer problem with many other economic and demographic pressures accelerating the crisis. For instance, a substantial number of the polluted countries are located in population-dense regions of South Asia and Southeast Asia. Rapid population growth leads to increased resource consumption and waste generation. India has the highest population in the world, leading to a high amount of waste deposition and water sanitation issues. Bangladesh and Pakistan have the worst air pollution due to the practice of stubble burning, brick kilns, and industrial pollution. Moreover, factors such as inadequate governance, weak policies, and poverty are some of the biggest challenges faced by low-income countries, which further expedite the environmental issues in these countries.
Another dominant pattern is the prevalence of pollution in Middle Eastern countries with substantial oil reserves. UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq rely heavily on fossil fuel and oil and gas resources for their economy. The process of oil extraction to its supply chain are inherently polluting activities, contributing to soil, water, and air contamination and causing GHG emissions.
Waste Management Industry
The aforementioned factors considerably contribute to global pollution. However, the waste management industry can be a potential solution and a contributing factor towards waste reduction. The waste management industry is responsible for the segregation, collection, recycling, and disposal of waste. Countries with efficient waste management practices are able to manage their waste footprint effectively. According to the Environment Protection Agency, waste managed in the US decreased by 694 million pounds in 2022. Only 5% of the waste generated by the manufacturing sector was released into the environment. The rest of it was managed through treatment, waste-to-energy recovery, and recycling. Inadequate waste disposal and handling lead to public health risks and ecological contamination. Therefore, it is important to have strong waste management systems, supported by a growing and innovative industry. The waste management industry is growing globally. In the US alone, it contributes $117 billion annually. It supported over 681,000 jobs while generating $37.8 billion in wages in 2020, as reported by the Recycled Materials Association.
Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is a top US company with the highest market share in the waste management market. It manages waste for homes, businesses, and municipalities. The company facilitates its customers from collection, transfer, and transportation, to material recovery and recycling. For 2024, the company is highly focused on the expansion of its sustainability business which includes recycling and renewable energy. It has recently completed a large recycling upgrade in Wisconsin. This facility provides a 20% higher amount of waste up to 60 tonnes of throughput in an hour, improving the quality of the recycled product. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) plans to upgrade its 9 facilities this year and open three new recycling facilities to expand its single-stream waste network.
Its sustainability business expansion strategy also includes adding energy recovery facilities to its portfolio. The company has completed a renewable natural gas plant at its landfill in Dallas-Foort Worth. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) is set to commission four other new renewable natural gas facilities this year. The company has increased its capital expenditures to support the new business expansion which will initially weigh down its free cash flow. These facilities will use gas from landfills to produce renewable natural gas to fuel vehicles and to market it to other industries.
The surge in plastic waste is one of the biggest contributors to ecological degradation and biodiversity loss. The role of the waste management industry in controlling and treating plastic pollution is evident in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) efforts to reduce landfill waste and then further convert it into renewable energy. The company is expanding its role in various waste streams. Recently, it acquired the medical waste management company, Stericycle for a total enterprise value of $7.2 billion. The company expects this transaction to add over $125 million in savings annually. Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM) continues to benefit from its consistent waste transfer and disposal operations while investing heavily in innovative recycling and waste-to-energy conversion and recovery solutions.
Lisa Belle Larsen/Shutterstock.com
Methodology
To compile our list of the 20 cleanest countries in the world in 2024, we utilized IQ Air’s Air Quality Index, to identify the cleanest countries based on their annual average PM2.5 concentration. Then, we employed additional metrics including total waste generation, GHG emissions production, and water and sanitation levels. We sourced the total waste generation data from the World Bank What a Waste database, and summed all types of waste to obtain the total waste produced for each country.
We then utilized water and sanitation scores from the Environment Performance Index (EPI) and GHG emissions data from Climate Watch. We have used water and sanitation levels as an indirect measure of a country’s ability to protect human health from pollution due to poor water and sanitation levels.
Finally, we assigned ranks to countries based on all four indicators. Then, we allocated percent weights to our metrics as 40% to GHG emissions, 30% to total waste generation, 20% to the air quality index, and 10% to the water and sanitation level. Our list ranks the 20 cleanest countries in the world in 2024 in ascending order of their calculated Insider Monkey Scores.
The Cleanest Country in the World
1. Grenada
Annual Average PM2.5 Concentration (2023): 4.1 μg/m³
Total Waste Generation (2018): 30,336 tonnes per year
Total GHG Emissions (2021): 2.37 Mega tonnes of CO2e
EPI Water and Sanitation Score (2020): 47
Insider Monkey Score: 163.1
Grenada is ranked 1st on our list of the cleanest countries in the world in 2024. The Caribbean country meets the World Health Organization’s standards for air quality, with its annual average PM2.5 concentration below 5 μg/m³. It is home to one of the most scenic physical environments, attracting tourists and migrants from around the world. According to a 2019 UN Statistic Division survey, 97% of its urban and 92% of its rural population have safe drinking water. Like other island nations, Grenada faces the problem of plastic pollution. In its 2021 Global Commitment report, its government established legal measures that pose a ban on specific categories of plastic packaging, single-use plastic cutlery, plastic bottles in retail food outlets, and plastic imports in Grenada.
Curious to learn about other cleanest countries in the world? Check out our report on the 20 Cleanest Countries In the World In 2024.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published on Insider Monkey.
