Pak takes big leap in green ranking

Pakistan has improved its position by 22 places in the 2026 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), moving from 179th in 2024 to 157th among 177 countries, according to the latest index released by the Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

Pakistan recorded an EPI score of 29.03 in the 2026 assessment, compared with 22.46 for India, which was ranked 176th. The EPI assesses countries on 47 indicators, covering 12 environmental issue categories. These are grouped under three broad policy objectives: environmental health, ecosystem vitality and climate change.

Pakistan's improved ranking comes as provincial authorities have increased efforts to address environmental pollution, particularly in Punjab, where measures targeting air pollution and environmental enforcement have been expanded ahead of the smog season.

The Punjab Environment Protection and Climate Change Department and its environmental protection agency have intensified inspections of industrial units, brick kilns and other sources of pollution. Authorities have also increased enforcement against vehicles emitting excessive smoke.

Punjab has expanded technology-based environmental monitoring, including real-time air-quality monitoring and local forecasting systems. The systems are being used to identify pollution hotspots and support enforcement and public advisories.

Authorities have also introduced measures to monitor vehicular emissions and require industrial units to comply with emission-control standards. Brick kilns are being monitored for compliance with approved technologies and environmental regulations.

Efforts to reduce plastic pollution have also continued, including action against prohibited plastic bags and inspections in markets and commercial areas.

Environmental education and climate-related initiatives have also been incorporated into provincial programmes. The Green School Certification initiative focuses on environmental awareness and practical measures in educational institutions.

The EPI provides an international benchmark for comparing environmental performance, but the overall ranking reflects performance across a wide range of indicators and does not eliminate the environmental challenges faced by individual countries.

Pakistan's 22-place improvement between the 2024 and 2026 rankings comes amid continuing challenges related to air pollution, environmental health, ecosystem protection and climate change.