The Environmental Performance Index : does this reflect reality?

Abstract

The 2016 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) ranked the Mediterranean state of Malta 9th out of 180 countries, with the country given strong scores in several key indicator sectors, including biodiversity and habitat, water resources, and air quality. When this ranking was published in local media, it was met with scepticism, because of a widely-held perception that Malta’s environmental performance is weak and lags behind that of many other European countries. In this chapter, we examine the EPI metric and its component indicators, using the case of Malta to evaluate whether and to what extent this metric accurately represents a country’s actual environmental performance. Through comparison with other data, we identify ‘mismatches’ between measured and actual performance, focusing on inclusion or omission of indicators that lead to misrepresentation or distortion of the real environmental situation of Malta. We also consider why and to what degree the EPI rating differs from citizens’ perceptions of a country’s environmental quality. This contribution discusses ways in which such metrics could potentially be modified or better adapted to enhance their utility for policy- formulation.