ESI and Climate Change

Paper Summary:

In this article the writer explains that the environmental sustainability index or ESI is a valuable tool that allows markets and countries to determine where they need to commit additional resources in order to affect positive change and where they are being successful at reducing climate changing activities. The writer notes that Canada has enacted extensive environmental legislation before and, because of its inclusion in the ESI rankings as a regular high-scoring participant, holds this legislation up as a model for other countries to follow. The writer concludes that perhaps one of the greatest uses of the ESI is as a measure or predictor for democratic effectiveness or reform in developing countries because where one sits on the ESI and the given ranking can be used to make certain assumptions about economic status, economic growth, and political reform or need thereof as they relate to direct and indirect impacts on climate change.

Outline:
The World Economic Forum
The ESI
Factors Within the ESI
A Working Model
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Strict adherence to this readily verifiable and repeatable methodology ensures that the figures can be taken at face value without the burden of compiling an independent data set. The rationale for inclusion in the ESI study as discussed above is based on three selected criteria: country size, variable coverage, and indicator coverage. Additionally, when greater cross-referencing is needed to substantiate data or outcomes, predetermined denominators are utilized to facilitate comparisons."
"The leading indicators that are measured in the ESI are separated into five components which together contain twenty-one measured indicators that each relate in some fashion to Parker and Blodgett's lens paradigm."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "About Us." World Economic Forum (online). Mar.23, 2007<http://www.weforum.org/en/initiatives/ghg/index.htm
• "Costly Climate Change Demands Kyoto Action." Canadian Speeches Nov.-Dec. 2002: 30+.
• "Environmental Performance Measurement Project." Yale [online]. Mar.23, 2007<http://www.yale.edu/esi/>.
• "Environmental Sustainability Index." Global Environment Change Report, 17/3(2005):3.
• Esty, Dan and Kim Samuel-Johnson. "Environment by Number." World Link, 14/1(2001):23.

More papers on ESI and Climate Change:

• Term Paper # 136176 : "The Canadian Arctic and Climate Change"
• Term Paper # 131817 : "Canada and Climate Change Policy"
• Essay # 83918 : "Air Pollution and Climate Change"

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