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A Critique of the Environmental Sustainability Index

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Author Info
Raghbendra Jha ()
K.V. Bhanu Murthy

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Abstract

The Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) has been proposed by collaboration of the World Economic Forum, Geneva, Center for International Earth Science Information Network, Columbia University, and Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy, New Haven as a measure of the overall state of the environment. This paper argues that the basic design of the ESI leaves much to be desired. It has conceptual problems in its visualization of environmental degradation and sustainability. The choice of variables as well as the statistical methodology of compiling the index is also found to be wanting. The paper then proposes an alternative methodology using Principal Components Analysis and argues that this is an improvement upon the ESI methodology. Given the likely use of aggregate environmental indexes in future environmental management, the critique advanced in this paper is of considerable significance.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Australian National University, Economics RSPAS in its series Departmental Working Papers with number 2003-08.

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Length: 29 pages
Date of creation: 2003
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Handle: RePEc:pas:papers:2003-08

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Related research
Keywords: Environmental sustainability Principal Components Analysis

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References listed on IDEAS
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  1. Jha, Raghbendra & Murthy, K. V. Bhanu, 2003. "An inverse global environmental Kuznets curve," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 31(2), pages 352-368, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  2. William Harbaugh & Arik Levinson & David Wilson, 2000. "Reexamining the Empirical Evidence for an Environmental Kuznets Curve," NBER Working Papers 7711, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  3. Jeffrey A. Frankel & Andrew K. Rose, 2002. "Is Trade Good or Bad for the Environment? Sorting Out the Causality," NBER Working Papers 9201, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Suhejla Hoti & Michael McAleer & Laurent L. Pauwels, 2004. "Modelling Environmental Risk," HEI Working Papers 08-2004, Economics Section, The Graduate Institute of International Studies. [Downloadable!]
  2. Bhanu Murthy, K.V., 2007. "Social responsibility standards and global environmental accountability : a developing country perspective," MPRA Paper 2636, University Library of Munich, Germany. [Downloadable!]
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