The Yale University Center for Environmental Law and Policy and UNU-CPR marked the launch of the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), the latest global rankings and the 25th anniversary of one of the world's leading benchmarks for environmental sustainability.
For a quarter of a century, the EPI has provided policymakers, researchers and practitioners with a robust, data-driven framework for assessing national environmental performance. Using 50 indicators across a broad range of policy areas, the Index evaluates countries' progress in protecting environmental health, strengthening ecosystem vitality and addressing climate change. Over the past two decades, it has become the world's most widely cited sustainability scorecard and an important resource for informing environmental policy and decision-making.
The 2026 launch celebrated this milestone while looking ahead to the next generation of sustainability measurement. Discussions explored how advances in artificial intelligence, data analytics and emerging technologies are reshaping the way environmental performance is measured, monitored and translated into more effective policy.
Held during the High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development at United Nations Headquarters, the event brought together government representatives, international organizations, researchers and policy experts to discuss how robust environmental metrics can support evidence-based policymaking and accelerate progress towards global sustainability goals.
