Welcome to the Earth.Org Global Sustainability Index, where Earth.Org examines the policies and actions regarding the environment of every nation on earth. Combining the most respected global indexes on pollution, climate change, policy, energy, oceans, biodiversity we have produced an overall Global Index, which will be updated annually. This is the Global Sustainability Index scorecard for Nauru.
Nauru is one of the smallest independent, democratic states in the world, and like other Small Island Developing States (SIDS), it is highly vulnerable to climate change. Its contribution to global emissions is negligible, yet its awareness and concern about the issue is serious. Before joining the Paris Agreement, Nauru’s government launched the National Sustainable Development Strategy (NSDS) 2005 – 2025, along with the Nauru Energy Road Map 2014-2020 and an adaptation plan for disaster risk management. Together, these strategies aim to create an exemplary low-carbon society while building resilience against sea level rise, higher temperatures and increased natural disaster intensity.
Sustainability will be achieved through solar energy installations while phasing out diesel-generated power. Adaptation is a far larger concern, and due to the uncertainty regarding sea level rise scenarios, officials have opted for a “no-regrets” approach. The island’s resilience has been compromised by nearly a century of intensive phosphate mining, leaving it with scarce water, land and soil resources, environmental degradation, chronic health problems and a general dependence on external aid and imports. Priority action will be taken on water, energy, food, and health security, but education remains a problem, along with access to appropriate technology and funds.
- As a Small Island Developing State, Nauru is highly vulnerable to sea level rise and natural disaster.
- Its long history of overexploitation for phosphate mining has left it in poor shape, and adaptation measures will be difficult to implement.
- It will focus on addressing knowledge gaps while depending on external aid to help build resilience.
* Nauru’s impact on global climate change is too insignificant for it to be ranked in certain categories.
Global Sustainability Main Page.
References:
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Biodiversity, Policy: Sachs, J., Schmidt-Traub, G., Kroll, C., Lafortune, G., Fuller, G. (2019): Sustainable Development Report 2019. New York: Bertelsmann Stiftung and Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).
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Oceans: Halpern, Benjamin S., et al. “An index to assess the health and benefits of the global ocean.” Nature 488.7413 (2012): 615-620.
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Pollution: Wendling, Z. A., Emerson, J. W., Esty, D. C., Levy, M. A., de Sherbinin, A., et al. (2018). 2018 Environmental Performance Index. New Haven, CT: Yale Center for Environmental Law & Policy. https://epi.yale.edu/
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Climate Change: Climate Change Performance Index; Jan Burck, Ursula Hagen, Niklas Höhne, Leonardo Nascimento, Christoph Bals, ISBN 978-3-943704-75-4, 2019
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Energy: Enerdata –World Energy Statistics – Yearbook.
World Energy Statistics
