Ranked: The Countries with the Most Sustainable Energy Policies
Connect with us

Energy

Ranked: Countries with the Most Sustainable Energy Policies

Published

on

Countries with the Most Sustainable Energy Policies

Ranked: Countries With Most Sustainable Energy Policies

The sourcing and distribution of energy is one of the most pressing issues of our time.

Just under one billion people still lack basic access to electricity, and many more connect to the grid through improvised wiring or live through frequent blackouts. On the flip side of the socioeconomic spectrum, a growing chorus of voices is pressuring governments and corporations to power the global economy in a more sustainable way.

Today’s visualization โ€“ using data from the World Energy Council (WEC) โ€“ ranks countries based on their mix of policies for tackling issues like energy security and environmental sustainability.

The Energy Trilemma Index

According to WEC, there are three primary policy areas that form the “trilemma”:

1. Energy Security
A nationโ€™s capacity to meet current and future energy demand reliably, and bounce back swiftly from system shocks with minimal disruption to supply. This dimension covers the effectiveness of management of domestic and external energy sources, as well as the reliability and resilience of energy infrastructure.

2. Energy Equity
A countryโ€™s ability to provide universal access to reliable, affordable, and abundant energy for domestic and commercial use. This dimension captures basic access to electricity and clean cooking fuels and technologies, access to prosperity-enabling levels of energy consumption, and affordability of electricity, gas, and fuel.

3. Environmental Sustainability
The transition of a countryโ€™s energy system towards mitigating and avoiding environmental harm and climate change impacts. This dimension focuses on productivity and efficiency of generation, transmission and distribution, decarbonization, and air quality.

Using the dimensions above, a score out of 100 is generated. Here’s a complete ranking that shows which countries have the most sustainable energy policies:

RankCountryTrilemma ScoreLetter Grade*
1๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ญ Switzerland85.8AAA
2๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ช Sweden85.2AAA
3๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Denmark84.7AAA
4๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง United Kingdom81.5AAA
5๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Finland81.1AAA
6๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France80.8AAA
7๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡น Austria80.7AAA
8๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡บ Luxembourg80.4BAA
9๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany79.4AAA
10๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฟ New Zealand79.4AAA
11๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ด Norway79.3CAA
12๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Slovenia79.2AAA
13๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Canada78.0AAC
14๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands77.8BAB
15๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ธ United States77.5AAB
16๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Czech Republic77.4AAB
17๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡พ Uruguay77.2ABA
18๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ธ Spain77.0BAA
19๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡บ Hungary76.8AAB
20๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy76.8BAA
21๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ธ Iceland76.2BAB
22๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡ป Latvia76.1ABA
23๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Slovakia75.6ABA
24๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ช Belgium75.2BAA
25๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ช Ireland75.2CAA
26๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ด Romania75.1ABA
27๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ท Croatia74.9ABA
28๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡บ Australia74.7BAB
29๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡น Portugal74.0BBB
30๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ช Estonia73.8BAB
31๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ต Japan73.8CAB
32๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Israel73.3CAB
33๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡น Malta72.9DAA
34๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Hong Kong (China)72.5DAB
35๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina72.4BAB
36๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡น Lithuania72.4CBA
37๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea71.7BAC
38๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ท Costa Rica71.6CBA
39๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ท Brazil71.6ABA
40๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ Mexico71.3ABB
41๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฌ Bulgaria71.3BBB
42๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Russia71.2AAC
43๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Singapore71.2DAB
44๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ช Venezuela70.3ABB
45๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡จ Ecuador69.6ABB
46๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ Panama69.5CBA
47๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ท Greece69.5CBA
48๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Chile69.4BBB
49๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด Colombia69.3BCA
50๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡บ Mauritius69.0CBB
51๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡พ Malaysia68.5BBC
52๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ช U.A.E.68.3BAD
53๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland68.3BBB
54๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡พ Cyprus67.9DBB
55๐Ÿ‡ถ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Qatar67.9AAD
56๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ณ Brunei67.7CBC
57๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Azerbaijan67.7BBB
58๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช Peru66.8ACB
59๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Kazakhstan66.6BBC
60๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Armenia66.3CBB
61๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Ukraine66.0ACC
62๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ป El Salvador66.0BCA
63๐Ÿ‡ด๐Ÿ‡ฒ Oman65.5BAD
64๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ช Montenegro65.4CBB
65๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ผ Kuwait65.2CAD
66๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท Turkey64.9CBC
67๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡พ Paraguay64.7DBA
68๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ญ Thailand64.6CBC
69๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Indonesia64.1BCC
70๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡ธ Serbia63.8BBC
71๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฐ North Macedonia63.7CBC
72๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China63.7BBD
73๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Albania63.7DBA
74๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ท Iran63.6ABD
75๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ณ Tunisia63.6BBC
76๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡น Trinidad and Tobago63.3CAD
77๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ช Georgia63.1CBC
78๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Saudi Arabia62.8CAD
79๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฆ Bosnia and Herz.62.1BBC
80๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ญ Bahrain62.1BAD
81๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡ง Lebanon61.6DAC
82๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Algeria61.3CBD
83๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Morocco61.1CCC
84๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ด Bolivia60.4BCC
85๐Ÿ‡ฑ๐Ÿ‡ฐ Sri Lanka60.1BCB
86๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ด Angola60.0ADB
87๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡ฌ Egypt59.9BBD
88๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡น Guatemala59.7BCC
89๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Gabon59.5CBD
90๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฆ Namibia59.1CDA
91๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ณ Vietnam58.9ACD
92๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฆ South Africa58.9DBD
93๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ถ Iraq58.9BBD
94๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ญ Philippines58.6BCC
95๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ด Jordan58.5DBC
96๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ผ Botswana57.7DCC
97๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ด Dominican Republic57.6DBB
98๐Ÿ‡ฏ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Jamaica56.9DBC
99๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฏ Tajikistan55.7DCC
100๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ณ Honduras55.3DCC
101๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Eswatini55.1DCC
102๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Nicaragua54.5DCC
103๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ญ Ghana52.9CDC
104๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Myanmar51.9BDB
105๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ญ Cambodia51.6CDC
106๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ช Kenya51.3BDB
107๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฉ Moldova51.2DCD
108๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ณ Mongolia51.1DCD
109๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India50.3BDD
110๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฐ Pakistan49.6CDD
111๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Cรดte dโ€™Ivoire49.3BDC
112๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Zambia47.8CDB
113๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฒ Cameroon47.4BDD
114๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฉ Bangladesh47.1DDC
115๐Ÿ‡ฟ๐Ÿ‡ผ Zimbabwe46.0CDC
116๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ท Mauritania45.6BDD
117๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ต Nepal44.3DDC
118๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ณ Senegal43.4DDD
119๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฟ Tanzania42.5DDC
120๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡น Ethiopia42.3DDC
121๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Madagascar42.2CDC
122๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฟ Mozambique41.4DDC
123๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฌ Nigeria40.7BDD
124๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ผ Malawi39.1DDB
125๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ฏ Benin36.3DDD
126๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ฉ Chad33.8DDD
127๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฉ D.R.C.33.8DDC
128๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ช Niger30.0DDD

*The letter grade represents national performance in three dimensions. The first letter represents Security, the second letter represents Equity, the third letter represents the Environmental Sustainability. The top grade is AAA, the lowest is DDD.

Highs, Lows, and Outliers

Every country has unique circumstances โ€” from strategic energy reserves to green energy ambitions โ€” that shape their domestic energy policies. Let’s take a closer look at some of the more interesting situations around the world.

Sweden

sweden energy trilemma index

Qatar

qatar energy trilemma index

Singapore

singapore energy trilemma index

Dominican Republic

dominican republic energy trilemma index

Niger

niger energy trilemma index

Global Energy Outlook

Achieving the balance of prosperity and sustainability is a goal of nearly every country, but it takes stability and the right mix of policies to get the job done.

The fact that many trilemma scores are improving is an indicator that the world’s patchwork of energy policies are slowly moving in the right direction.

Support the Future of Data Storytelling

Sorry to interrupt your reading, but we have a favor to ask. At Visual Capitalist we believe in a world where data can be understood by everyone. Thatโ€™s why we want to build the VC App - the first app of its kind combining verifiable and transparent data with beautiful, memorable visuals. All available for free.

As a small, independent media company we donโ€™t have the expertise in-house or the funds to build an app like this. So weโ€™re asking our community to help us raise funds on Kickstarter.

If you believe in data-driven storytelling, join the movement and back us on Kickstarter!

Thank you.

Support the future of data storytelling, back us on Kickstarter
Click for Comments

Energy

Who’s Still Buying Fossil Fuels From Russia?

Here are the top importers of Russian fossil fuels since the start of the war.

Published

on

The Largest Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels Since the War

This was originally posted on Elements. Sign up to the free mailing list to get beautiful visualizations on natural resource megatrends in your email every week.

Despite looming sanctions and import bans, Russia exported $97.7 billion worth of fossil fuels in the first 100 days since its invasion of Ukraine, at an average of $977 million per day.

So, which fossil fuels are being exported by Russia, and who is importing these fuels?

The above infographic tracks the biggest importers of Russiaโ€™s fossil fuel exports during the first 100 days of the war based on data from the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA).

In Demand: Russiaโ€™s Black Gold

The global energy market has seen several cyclical shocks over the last few years.

The gradual decline in upstream oil and gas investment followed by pandemic-induced production cuts led to a drop in supply, while people consumed more energy as economies reopened and winters got colder. Consequently, fossil fuel demand was rising even before Russiaโ€™s invasion of Ukraine, which exacerbated the market shock.

Russia is the third-largest producer and second-largest exporter of crude oil. In the 100 days since the invasion, oil was by far Russiaโ€™s most valuable fossil fuel export, accounting for $48 billion or roughly half of the total export revenue.

Fossil fuelRevenue from exports (Feb 24 - June 4)% of total Russian fossil fuel export revenue
Crude oil$48.3B49.4%
Pipeline gas$25.2B25.8%
Oil products$13.6B13.9%
Liquified Natural Gas (LNG)$5.4B5.5%
Coal$5.0B5.1%
Total$97.7B100%

While Russian crude oil is shipped on tankers, a network of pipelines transports Russian gas to Europe. In fact, Russia accounts for 41% of all natural gas imports to the EU, and some countries are almost exclusively dependent on Russian gas. Of the $25 billion exported in pipeline gas, 85% went to the EU.

The Top Importers of Russian Fossil Fuels

The EU bloc accounted for 61% of Russiaโ€™s fossil fuel export revenue during the 100-day period.

Germany, Italy, and the Netherlandsโ€”members of both the EU and NATOโ€”were among the largest importers, with only China surpassing them.

CountryValue of fossil fuel imports from Russia (Feb 24 - Jun 4)% of Russian fossil fuel export revenue
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ณ China$13.2B13.5%
๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ช Germany$12.7B12.9%
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡น Italy$8.2B8.4%
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฑ Netherlands$8.2B8.4%
๐Ÿ‡น๐Ÿ‡ท Turkey$7.0B7.2%
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland$4.6B4.7%
๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท France$4.5B4.6%
๐Ÿ‡ฎ๐Ÿ‡ณ India$3.6B3.7%
๐ŸŒ Other$35.7B36.5%
Total$97.7B100%

China overtook Germany as the largest importer, importing nearly 2 million barrels of discounted Russian oil per day in Mayโ€”up 55% relative to a year ago. Similarly, Russia surpassed Saudi Arabia as China’s largest oil supplier.

The biggest increase in imports came from India, buying 18% of all Russian oil exports during the 100-day period. A significant amount of the oil that goes to India is re-exported as refined products to the U.S. and Europe, which are trying to become independent of Russian imports.

Reducing Reliance on Russia

In response to the invasion of Ukraine, several countries have taken strict action against Russia through sanctions on exports, including fossil fuels.ย 

The U.S. and Sweden have banned Russian fossil fuel imports entirely, with monthly import volumes down 100% and 99% in May relative to when the invasion began, respectively.

importers of russian fossil fuels

On a global scale, monthly fossil fuel import volumes from Russia were down 15% in May, an indication of the negative political sentiment surrounding the country.

Itโ€™s also worth noting that several European countries, including some of the largest importers over the 100-day period, have cut back on Russian fossil fuels. Besides the EUโ€™s collective decision to reduce dependence on Russia, some countries have also refused the countryโ€™s ruble payment scheme, leading to a drop in imports.

The import curtailment is likely to continue. The EU recently adopted a sixth sanction package against Russia, placing a complete ban on all Russian seaborne crude oil products. The ban, which covers 90% of the EUโ€™s oil imports from Russia, will likely realize its full impact after a six-to-eight month period that permits the execution of existing contracts.

While the EU is phasing out Russian oil, several European countries are heavily reliant on Russian gas. A full-fledged boycott on Russiaโ€™s fossil fuels would also hurt the European economyโ€”therefore, the phase-out will likely be gradual, and subject to the changing geopolitical environment.

Continue Reading

Oil and Gas

How Affordable is Gas in Latin America?

This graphic looks at gas affordability in Latin America, showing how much a liter of gas costs in 19 countries, relative to average incomes.

Published

on

How Affordable is Gas in Latin America?

As gas prices have risen around the world, not each region and country is impacted equally.

Globally, the average price for a liter of gas was $1.44 USD on June 13, 2022.

But the actual price at the pump, and how affordable that price is for residents, varies greatly from country to country. This is especially true in Latin America, a region widely regarded as one of the worldโ€™s most unequal regions in terms of its income and resource distribution.

Using monthly data from GlobalPetrolPrices.com as of May 2022, this graphic by Latinometrics compares gas affordability in different countries across Latin America.

Gas Affordability in 19 Different Latin American Countries

To measure gas affordability, Latinometrics took the price of a liter of gas in 19 different Latin American countries and territories, and divided those figures by each countryโ€™s average daily income, using salary data from Statista.

Out of the 19 regions included in the dataset, Venezuela has the most affordable gas on the list. In Venezuela, a liter of gas is equivalent to roughly 1.3% of the countryโ€™s average daily income.

CountryGas price as of May 2022 (USD)% of average daily income
๐Ÿ‡ณ๐Ÿ‡ฎ Nicaragua$1.3714.0%
โ€‹๐Ÿ‡ฉ๐Ÿ‡ดโ€‹ Dominican Republic$1.4112.6%
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ทโ€‹ Brazil$1.4312.5%
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡พโ€‹ Paraguay$1.3912.2%
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ช Peru$1.5310.2%
๐Ÿ‡บ๐Ÿ‡พ Uruguay$1.929.8%
๐Ÿ‡ธ๐Ÿ‡ปโ€‹ El Salvador$1.149.2%
โ€‹โ€‹๐Ÿ‡ญ๐Ÿ‡ณโ€‹ Honduras$1.338.6%
๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝโ€‹ Mexico$1.177.8%
๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡นโ€‹ Guatemala$1.447.7%
๐Ÿ‡ฆ๐Ÿ‡ท Argentina$1.066.7%
โ€‹๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ฑโ€‹ Chile$1.376.6%
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ทโ€‹ Costa Rica$1.425.9%
๐Ÿ‡จ๐Ÿ‡ด Colombia$0.585.7%
โ€‹๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฆ โ€‹Panama$1.275.0%
๐Ÿ‡ช๐Ÿ‡จ Ecuador$0.674.1%
๐Ÿ‡ง๐Ÿ‡ด Bolivia$0.543.2%
๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ทโ€‹ Puerto Rico$1.352.2%
๐Ÿ‡ป๐Ÿ‡ชโ€‹ Venezuela$0.021.3%

This isn’t too surprising, as Venezuela is home to the largest share of proven oil reserves in the world. However, itโ€™s worth noting that international sanctions against Venezuelan oil, largely because of political corruption, have hampered the once prosperous sector in the country.

On the other end of the spectrum, Nicaragua has the least affordable gas on the list, with one liter of gas costing 14% of the average daily income in the country.

Historically, the Nicaraguan government has not regulated gas prices in the country, but in light of the current global energy crisis triggered in large part by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the government has stepped in to help control the situation.

As the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues with no end in sight, itโ€™ll be interesting to see where prices are at in the next few months.

Continue Reading

Subscribe

Popular