skip to Main Content

Environmental Performance Index 2024: A Closer Look at Viet Nam’s ranking

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) is a metric developed by researchers at Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and updated every two years. It is designed to assess and rank 180 countries’ environmental performance, environmental health and ecosystem vitality to provide a gauge at a national scale of how close countries are to established environmental policy targets. In 2024 Viet Nam is ranked last among the 180 countries, down from 141 in just 2020. 

Vietnam’s low ranking serves as another wake-up call. It underscores the urgent need for comprehensive responses to address these challenges. That balancing economic growth with environmental protection is essential for Vietnam’s long-term prosperity is not news. But apart from the overall ranking looking at the  the different sub-categories can provide insights into problem areas but also shows where things are going relatively well. 

While the 2024 ranking is data driven and of concern, the specific choice of indicators might also contribute to the low ranking and arguably not represent a comprehensive assessment of Viet Nam’s relative position. In the area of climate change mitigation  e.g., many indicators are based on the growth rate of emissions between 2013 and 2022, so that Viet Nam with its rapidly growing emissions lands at the end while European countries on the top, despite still having substantially higher per capita GHG emissions. Likewise, the score for the 2050 emissions indicator is based on an extrapolation of past emissions so that Viet Nam lands on the last place despite the highly ambitious 2050 net zero GHG emission target.  

 Air Pollution: Rapid industrialisation, urbanisation, and a growing number of vehicles have led to increased air pollution in urban areas. High levels of particulate matter and pollutants like nitrogen dioxide pose significant risks to public health. Indeed, in recent years, air pollution in Hanoi and northern cities reached unprecedented hazardous levels, with an index of 151-200 (SGGP, 2023). High levels of particulate matter and pollutants like nitrogen dioxide combined with weather changes have negatively impacted public health and created a breeding ground for diseases. Major hospitals in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have seen a significant increase in patients seeking medical treatment on respiratory infections. 

Biodiversity Loss: Viet Nam is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, but deforestation, habitat destruction, and illegal wildlife trade have resulted in the loss of many species. In details, 21% of mammals, 6.5% of birds, 19% of reptiles, 24% of amphibians, 38% of fish, and 2.5% of plants are listed as threatened (WWF, 2021). The live coral cover of coral reefs is declining rapidly, and the area of seagrass has decreased by 45.4% with an annual reduction rate of 4.4% (ISPONRE, 2021).  

The 2024 EPI Framework

Reference: 

SGGP (2023). Air pollution in Vietnam exceeds red-warning level | SGGP English Edition 

Block, S., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., de Sherbinin, A., Wendling, Z. A., et al. (2024). 2024 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. epi.yale.edu. EPI COVER 2024_FULL REPORT (yale.edu) 

World Wide Fund for Nature (2021): Report on Viet Nam biodiversity outlook: analyzing impacts from economic sectors to address biodiversity degradation. | WWF 

Vietnam, a country with rich biodiversity | Nieuwsbericht | Agroberichten Buitenland 

The Institute of Strategy and Policy on Natural Resources and Environment (2021). National Ecosystem Assessment Report Of Viet Nam (isponre.gov.vn) 

Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH

Registered offices
Bonn and Eschborn, Germany

Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 36 + 40
53113 Bonn, Germany
T +49 228 44 60-0
F +49 228 44 60-17 66

Dag-Hammarskjöld-Weg 1 – 5
65760 Eschborn, Germany
T +49 61 96 79-0
F +49 61 96 79-11 15

E info@giz.de
I www.giz.de

Registered at

Local court (Amtsgericht) Bonn, Germany: HRB 18384
Local court (Amtsgericht) Frankfurt am Main, Germany: HRB 12394

VAT no.

DE 113891176

Chairperson of the Supervisory Board

Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary in the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development

Management Board

Thorsten Schäfer-Gümbel (Chair)
Ingrid-Gabriela Hoven (Vice-Chair)
Anna Sophie Herken

Unsubscribe | Here you can unsubscribe from this newsletter.

In charge of this newsletter:
Daniel Herrmann, IKI.vietnam@giz.de
IKI Interface Vietnam
GIZ Office Vietnam
Project “Support to Vietnam for the Implementation of the Paris Agreement II” (VN-SIPA II)

Editor: Tran Xuan Quynh

Photo Credits:
GIZ, GreenYOU, UfU, WWF, baochinhphu, MONRE, UNDP, UNEP, Pixabay

The IKI Vietnam Newsletter is administered by the IKI interface in Vietnam hosted by GIZ. It informs regularly about news of climate change and biodiversity projects in Vietnam financed by the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The International Climate Initiative (IKI) is an important part of the German government’s international climate finance commitment. Since 2022 the IKI is implemented by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) and the Federal Foreign Office (AA).

https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/

IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism (IKI ICM)

Any person who is (potentially) negatively affected by an IKI project, can file a complaint via the IKI Independent Complaint Mechanism (ICM). 

It works to enable people who suffer (potential) negative social and/or environmental consequences from IKI project. ​

  • Any person or a group of persons, or a community that has been or may be affected negatively by an IKI project may file a complaint.​
  • Persons wishing to do so can report integrity and/or corruption issues, such as misuse of funds, fraud etc.​
  • If persons experience reprisals in relation to an IKI project or a complaint, they can also use the mechanism. The affected person(s) can authorise a representative to file and pursue the complaint on their behalf.​

To find more information or to file a complaint go to:​

https://www.international-climate-initiative.com/PAGE396-1

Back To Top