A study of 29 European countries’ progress towards sustainability has revealed that Spain is plummeting down the ranks while Denmark leads the way.
Oliver Wyman’s Green Transition Index analyses the level of progress in the sustainability of countries in Europe, considering seven main categories: economy, nature, manufacturing, energy, buildings, transport and waste.
According to the new edition of the index, Spain falls five positions in the ranking compared to 2022 due to the improvement in the performance of other European countries.
It means Spain is below the European average for the first time and the second country that falls the most after France.
Denmark leads the ranking, consolidating itself as the most advanced country in the green transition thanks to its strong performance in the use of renewable energies and decarbonisation technologies, the report said.
In particular, it stands out for its pioneering initiatives in green hydrogen and carbon storage projects.
The Scandinavian countries continue to show strong leadership, followed by Western Europe, the Baltic States, Eastern Europe and Southern Europe, the analysis found.
Despite having made improvements in most indicators compared to the 2022 index, Spain falls five positions (to number 19) in relative performance compared to the rest of European countries.
In the category of buildings, Spain has fallen five positions due to the low use of renewable energies for home heating, which is below the European average and far behind the leading countries, where more than 50% of heating comes from renewable sources.
In Spain, gas boilers continue to be the main technology used.
Regarding the transition in the energy sector, Spain is in 11th place, falling from the seventh position it occupied in the previous edition.
However, Spain continues to make progress in the adoption of renewable energies, the report said.
“Differences in progress towards sustainability not only reflect a country’s level of resources, but also the effectiveness of its policies and its capacity for innovation,” said Oliver Wyman Spain and Portugal associate Sofia Marques Cruz.
“Denmark, which leads the ranking, is a clear example of how a strategic approach and the promotion of clean technologies can accelerate the transition.”