Notes

  1. The colours used in the various graphs facilitate a quick assessment of the actual situation. Each colour corresponds with a score range:
    8 or higher
    7 to 8
    6 to 7
    5 to 6
    4 to 5
    4 or lower
  2. Spider webs show both the value of the score (on a scale of 0 to 10) and the distance to sustainability. The outer circle represents full sustainability, the center no sustainability at all.
  3. Regions: we have followed the United Nations classification of regions.
  4. Africa Sub Sahara includes all African countries except the six Africa North countries (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia)
  5. Note that for the graphs showing the correlation between the score and GDP per capita either a logarithmic scale or a linear scale for GDP has been chosen, depending on which scale provides the clearest picture.
  6. Note that in the histogram of each indicator, the raw data have been presented. The histograms of the categories, wellbeing dimensions and SSI show the score values.
  7. Note that in the tables Top 10 and Bottom 10, countries with the same score are listed in alphabetical order.
  8. The classification of income classes, according to the thresholds as defined by the World Bank (year of data 2009) are
    Income class Limits
    (US$ per capita per year)    		 Number of
    countries
    Low income ≤ 995 12
    Lower middle income 996 to 3,945 38
    Upper middle income 3,946 to 12,195 45
    High income > 12,195 56
  9. Abbreviations:
    CDIAC – Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center
    CIA – Central Intelligence Agency
    EF – Ecological Footprint
    EPI – Environmental Performance Index
    EU – European Union
    FAO – Food and Agriculture Organisation
    FiBL – Forschungsinstitut für biologischen Landbau
    GDI – Gender related Development Index
    GHG – Greenhouse Gases
    GDP –Gross Domestic Product
    Gha – global hectares
    GNI – Gross National Income
    HALE – Health Adjusted Life Expectancy
    HDR – Human Development Report
    IEA – International Energy Agency
    ILO – International Labour Organisation
    IMF – International Monetary Fund
    ISEW – Index for Sustainable Economic Welfare
    MDG – Millennium Development Goals
    MRYA – Most recent year available
    RCW – renewable combustibles and waste
    SSF – Sustainable Society Foundation
    SSI – Sustainable Society Index
    TPES – Total Primary Energy Supply
    UN – United Nations
    UNEP – United Nations Environmental Program
    Unesco – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation
    UNICEF – United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund
    WCMC – World Conservation Monitoring Centre
    WHO – World Health Organisation
    WWF – World Wildlife Fund / World Wild Fund for Nature

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