Environmental country reviews

SLOVAK REPUBLIC 2024: The Slovak Republic has reduced some environmental pressures over the past decade. However, it needs to do more to reduce air pollution, improve waste and wastewater treatment and move towards carbon neutrality. Since 2011, the country has taken important steps to improve its biodiversity policy. Slovakia needs to now align its strategy with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030.

CHILE 2024: Chile has made important strides on its environmental agenda in recent years with the passage of the Framework Law on Climate Change, the establishment of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Service and the ratification of the Escazú Agreement. However, the country has made limited progress in decoupling environmental pressures from economic growth.

COSTA RICA 2023: A megadiverse country, Costa Rica is known globally for its success in reversing deforestation and pursuing a growth model based on the sustainable use of its environmental resources. However, energy use and related greenhouse gas emissions increased in the last decade.

UNITED STATES 2023: The United States, the world’s largest economy, has made progress in reducing several environmental pressures while maintaining one of the highest GDPs per capita in the world. It has decoupled emissions of greenhouse gases, air pollutants, water abstractions and domestic material consumption from economic and population growth.

ISRAEL 2023: Israel’s rapid economic and population growth along with a high degree of urbanisation continue to exert significant pressure on the environment. Israel has raised its climate ambitions in recent years, though is not on track to reach greenhouse gas reduction targets.

GERMANY 2023: Germany has continued to improve its environmental performance over the past decade. It has ambitious climate targets with the aim to reach climate neutrality by 2045 and achieve negative emissions after 2050.