Norway – the world’s most sustainable country

The study, first published in 2013, this year evaluated 150 countries (23 developed and 127 emerging) on a broad range of financially material Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) factors relevant for investors.

Scandinavia continues to dominate sustainability rankings, lead this time by Norway. The Nordic 4 along with Switzerland maintain their strong position thanks to leadership in governance, innovation, human capital, and environmental indicators.

Elsewhere on the globe, resurgent discontent and waves of protests mark this year’s geopolitical landscape. From the Americas to Europe, governance and democratic institutions are under increasing pressure from populist forces. Meanwhile, Hong Kong fears its institutions, governance, and democracy are threatened by forces of a different kind.

Geopolitical developments along with other sustainability indicators are absorbed and reflected in the country ESG scores and rankings presented in this report.

Says Max Schieler, Senior SI Country Analyst at RobecoSAM: “A proper country sustainability assessment provides additional information and valuable insights into a country’s underlying risk drivers that we believe are critical to making balanced investment decisions.”

The full study (in English only) is attached to this email: “Norway – the world’s most sustainable country” - RobecoSAM's Country Sustainability Ranking.