Top 10 Greenest Countries

10. Sweden (68.82)

Sweden has a plan in motion to find a way to stop using fossil fuels by the year 2020. The efforts are ongoing and although alternative energy sources can be a bit difficult, they hope they will achieve their goal. Here they are focusing on the use of nuclear, wind and hydro power to provide necessities and electricity throughout the country. With the theorized eventual emergence of Nano crystals for use in photovoltaic technology we could hope solar power will bring about a major change in global emissions not only here but across the world.

9. United Kingdom (68.82)

Literally tied for 9th place on the global list, the UK has been addressing new, environmentally- friendly alternatives for decades. Much of Britain's power is still the result of nuclear power plants which are not aging well, however changes are coming as more and more green alternatives are being sought alongside ways to improve on current designs.

8. Italy (68.9)

Currently on the rise as one of the staunchest supporters of solar power, ranked as the 4th in the world in terms of installed solar energy. Albeit Italy is still fighting air pollution, steps toward a greener future are undertaken and with sufficient effort and the rise of technologies capable of enhancing these efforts its place on this list may rise over time.

7. Austria (68.92)

Although Austria is luckily one of the cleanest countries in the world, they have still found ways to ensure their environmental footprint is as small as possible. Austria has also made great efforts to plant eco-friendly gardens on its borders with the Czech Republic. These gardens are treated with no pesticides and most of them contain fruit trees, herbs and flowers. They rely mostly on natural compost and rain as a source of irrigation.

6. France (69)

There are plans underway for France to drastically reduce its greenhouse emissions by 2020, its renewable energy use and its organic farming. It was originally part of the plan of a plan by president Nicolas Sarkozy. A truly amazing fact is that France gets a staggering 80% of its electricty from nuclear power plants. Overall France is steadily moving forward in its attempts to control environmental pollution.

5. Costa Rica (69.03)

A country with goals set very high and rightly so as it is doing a lot to succeed at staying green. They aim to become carbon neutral by year 2021 and that is not entirely implausible, as they utilize a great deal of renewable resources. The usual climate certainly helps this a great deal too. Despite the deforestation of previous decades Costa Rica is working hard toward reforestation, having planted millions of trees since 2008.

4. Luxembourg (69.2)

Luxembourg's electric grid is almost entirely dependent on energy import from other countries, thus allowing their country to enjoy a much cleaner environment. Because of this a highly competitive energy market is in effect, giving lots of choices to its citizens. Luxembourg is slowly inching toward the goal of having at least 10% of its energy production done in an eco-friendly way by 2020.

3. Norway (69.92)

Another country hoping to board the carbon neutral train with major plans to do so by the year 2030. To compensate for the heavy reliance on oil rigs as an energy source the government is working toward purchasing large carbon offsets. Working together with Sweden they hope to reduce the deforestation of Scandinavia, aiming toward returning the balance to the local ecosystem.

2. Latvia (70.37)

Latvia's strict Law of Energy requires utility companies to purchase power on set prices from renewable energy sources. A tariff system was created in 2003 which sets specific prices among these resources. A program of solid waste disposal is also in effect, combined with an impressive generation of wind power, despite the small size of the country.

1. Switzerland (76.69)

Currently the leader in the Environmental Performance Index, Switzerland has a long record of being protective of the environment. It has an interesting set of laws which even goes as far as forbidding cars in some cities. Albeit this may come across as strict, it serves a purpose as it helps people be fit and it protects the local air at the same time. Many companies and accommodations here have embraced the green living ideal and they aim to be as effective at it as possible.