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Take the challengeAustralia's performance in the 2016 Yale report has seen a dip in our rankings, likening us to Saudi Arabia.
The Environmental Performance Index Performance Index is a report released biennially from Yale university in the United States. Covering sectors such as biodiversity and habitat, climate and energy, water resources, fisheries, and health impacts, the report ranks countries in relation to the performance of their peers.
In the recently released 2016 edition, Australia has dropped 10 places to be 13 out of 180 nations.
According to the yale report, over the last decade nearly every country in the list has improved its index score - except for Australia.
Australia did perform well under the banners of water resources, water sanitation, health impacts, and air quality. However, our worst performance came under climate and energy, in which we rank 150 out of 180 nations for our carbon emissions related to electricity generation.
Among wealthy nations, only Saudi Arabia, who received multiple "fossil of the day" awards at the UN's Climate Conference in Paris last year, has received a lower ranking than Australia.
Last year, Environmental Minister Greg Hunt told ABC's 7.30 Report that the report was, "the most credible, scientifically-based, hard data-based analysis in the world." At the time of writing this post Hunt is yet to comment on Australia's ranking.
"International report after international report shows Australia is lagging on cutting climate pollution and yet the Liberal government is sticking with Tony Abbott's useless climate policies that leave us missing out on the trade and job opportunities in renewable energy,"- Senator Larissa Waters, speaking to SMH.
Senator Waters told SMH that the government's, "inaction on global warming is shameful, especially when compared to other countries". Labor's shadow environment minister Mark Butler stated, "The Turnbull Government is taking Australia backward at a shocking pace."
Read More: This interactive map shows how your country is fighting climate change
Australia signed on to the monumental Paris Agreement in December last year yet was quickly criticized for our weak emissions targets and lack of synergy between theory and action when it comes to combating climate change.
Read this next: The Paris Agreement: what you need to know
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