India’s environmental performance has come under significant scrutiny, as reflected in the 2024 Environmental Performance Index (EPI). Ranking 176th out of 180 countries with a score of 27.6 points, India faces severe challenges in air quality, emissions, and biodiversity conservation. Despite some progress in climate change mitigation, the country’s reliance on coal and rapid urbanization contribute heavily to its low ranking. This article explores the factors behind India’s environmental performance, the initiatives underway, and the criticisms of the EPI’s methodologies. The image below shows the EPI framework which organizes 58 indicators into 11 issue categories and three policy objectives, with…