Nature and waste are harmful points in Portugal
Portugal is with the European Union on the path of environmental sustainability. This is a key understanding of the Green Transition Index first developed by strategic consultant Oliver Wyman.
In this work, a detailed analysis was carried out of the performance in terms of sustainability and reduction of carbon emissions of 29 countries, including those of the European Union, United Kingdom and Norway.
These data are analyzed taking into account seven categories: the manufacturing industry, economy, waste, buildings, transport, energy and nature. Each is scored and the sum of these values forms a ranking for each country, allowing the comparison of performance between European countries or regions.
The consultant felt the need to develop this index due to the growing global pressure on companies and government to adopt pro-environment policies and practices. Several sectors of society also call for an economic model that is less dependent on fossil fuels, a request that has become even more relevant in Europe with the war in Ukraine.
Portugal is ranked 18 out of 29, with a score of 48 out of 100, four places behind Spain. The categories in which the country stands out the most are energy and buildings, ranking fifth and second respectively.
This prominence of Portugal in energy is explained by the fact that the country stands out in the dimension of green hydrogen projects in relation to GDP, in the capacity of storage projects related to batteries and in the weight of renewable energies and biofuels in the production of electricity.
As for buildings, Portugal ranks second in this category along with the Baltic countries and Eastern Europe. This classification is explained by the use of renewable energies for domestic heating and the low consumption of electricity per capita. Scandinavian and Western European countries are among the worst performers, as they rely heavily on fossil fuels to disappear as homes. However, in terms of buildings built with sustainable construction certifications, Portugal occupies a nineteenth position.
However, Portugal is one of the “study targets” that ranks worst in terms of waste management and nature conservation. According to this study, it is the country that registers the highest rates of waste circularity, in addition to being one of the countries that generate the most organic waste.
This study shows that there is a dynamic between GDP per capita and the result of this index, although there are some receptive ones. For example, Luxembourg, Ireland and Norway perform worse despite their wealth, and Italy, Slovenia and Estonia perform better despite having lower GDP.
“Given the enormous capital needs, it seems plausible that the richest countries are more advanced in terms of environmental sustainability. And indeed, when you look at the relationship between a country’s wealth, measured by GDP per capita, and its performance in Green Transition Index (GTI), the conclusion is clear: richer countries, with the financial means to invest in the transition, tend to have a higher evaluation than countries with a lower economic performance”, says Pepa Chiarri, Oliver Wyman Director for Climate and Sustainability.
Europe is leading the race towards sustainability, but at different paces despite everything.