Which country is the most sustainable? To answer this question requires an identification of suitable measures and an accurate pool of data. A new review indicates that Sweden tops the list of nations.
The data comes from the firm Arka, who ranked the top ten countries where more companies are focused on sustainability. Key indicators such as environment-related technology patents, crunchbase sustainable companies, and GDP per capita were gathered to reflect sustainability activities and economic capacity. In the end, a composite index of 100 was calculated for each country, reflecting its sustainability efforts relative to its economic capacity.
Overall, the Scandinavian countries, specifically Denmark, Sweden, and Finland, achieve some of the highest scores on the sustainable development index, with all scoring above 85.
Another notable case is Switzerland, which ranks highly in a new global study on sustainability, excelling in green business density with 6.5 sustainable companies per billion GDP and a Sustainable Development Index score of 79.3.
The UK features prominently, with one of the highest densities of sustainable companies (7.5 per billion GDP) and a strong Sustainable Development Index score of 82.16. The Sustainability Engagement Index was developed to evaluate countries’ commitment to sustainability relative to their economic scale. This index highlights both innovation and sustainable business density, offering a fair comparison across economies.
The top ten ‘most sustainable’ nations were found to be:
- Sweden
- Denmark
- Finland
- South Korea
- Belgium
- Switzerland
- United Kingdom
- Canada
- Australia
- Austria
(This is a filtered, scaled, and normalized index).
As mentioned above, Sweden leads with a composite score of 65.9. It stands out for its exceptional density of sustainable companies, with 7.6 sustainable companies per billion GDP, the highest among all ranked countries.
Sweden also has a high score on the sustainable development index, at 85.7, which proves the country’s commitment to sustainability across both public and private sectors.
Close behind is Denmark, scoring 63.34 and ranking second. Denmark ranks high in both patents per billion GDP (2.4) and sustainable companies per billion GDP (5.18). The country also ranks high in patents and sustainable businesses per GDP, and its sustainable development score of 85 shows they’re committed to green growth.
Finland is the third Scandinavian country with a composite score of 62.48. Finland is among the top performers, with 6.83 sustainable companies per billion GDP. It also leads the sustainable development index with an impressive 86.35, showing the country’s all-in commitment to ecological and social sustainability.
South Korea, despite its current political turmoil, ranks fourth with a composite score of 58.52 and is leading in environment-related patents, holding 6,600—by far the most on the list. Although it ranks lower in sustainable companies per billion GDP (0.9), Korea’s focus on tech-driven sustainability initiatives is clear.
Belgium, with a composite score of 57.24, ranks fifth. Its sustainable development index score is 80.04, which suggests a well-rounded approach to sustainability and a strive towards a more eco-conscious future.
Switzerland holds a score of 56.94, placing it sixth. The country shows a strong score for sustainable companies per billion GDP of 6.5. The UK ranks seventh with a score of 55.58.
In eighth comes Canada, with a score of 53.56. Its sustainable development index is 78.8, which shows a commitment to hitting environmental and social goals. With strong numbers in patents and sustainable companies, Canada is making progress toward a greener future.
Australia ranks ninth with a composite score of 50.13 and Austria rounds out the list with a composite score of 49.2. Its sustainable development index score of 82.55.
