Global Competetiveness Report

Country rankings
Natural Capital
Natural Capital Sustainability
Country Rank Score
Panama 89 40.4
Serbia 90 40.4
Benin 91 40.4
South Korea 92 40.4
Honduras 92 40.4
Romania 94 40.2
Mauritius 95 40.0
Slovenia 96 40.0
Bulgaria 97 39.9
Philippines 98 39.8
Qatar 99 39.8
Djibouti 100 39.7
South Africa 101 39.6
Luxembourg 102 39.6
Kyrgistan 103 39.2
Switzerland 104 39.1
Togo 105 38.5
Slovakia 106 38.2
Saudi Arabia 107 37.8
El Salvador 108 37.5
Albania 109 37.3
Poland 110 37.3
Mauritania 111 37.2
Kuwait 112 37.2
Sri Lanka 113 37.1
Dominica 114 37.0
Senegal 115 36.8
Georgia 116 36.7
Chile 117 36.6
Spain 118 36.1
United Kingdom 119 36.1
Niger 120 36.0
Turkmenistan 121 35.7
Mexico 122 35.7
North Korea 123 35.7
Macedonia 124 35.4
Algeria 125 35.3
Ukraine 126 35.3
Timor-Leste 127 35.2
Malta 128 35.1
Bahamas 129 34.8
Seychelles 130 34.7
Thailand 131 34.5
Oman 132 34.4
Negative efficiency incentives
Countries have a variety of tools at their
disposal to increase the efficiency of natural
capital usage and so achieving sustainable
development in their specific natural context.
These tools include, amongst others:
• Setting mandatory efficiency standards
(possibly coupled with fines for noncompliance)
• User-pays principles – defining prices of
resources (e.g. water) that reflect the
inclusive value of the resource or
internalizes non-financial depletion and/or
pollution costs. This measurement can be
coupled with positive incentives, whereby
the revenues so gained are redistributed in
relevant R&D efforts, support for
technology, subsidies, or other programs
• Introduction of environmental regulations
• Designation of protected areas
• Designation of sustainable development
demonstration projects and areas
• Polluter pays principles.
• As a drastic measurement of last resort:
introduction of contingents
The danger of many of the above
measurements lies in the details and
comprehensiveness of policies, and have to
be embedded in the wider national context
in order to avert potential negative social side
effects and the unintentional development of
inequality in terms of income levels.
In order to guarantee long-term
sustainability, economic development
considerations have to be taken into account
as well.
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The Global Sustainable Competitiveness Index