The Sustainable Competitiveness Index 2013
Article Type: Feature From: International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, Volume 14, Issue 4
The second edition of the Global Competitiveness Index, analysing 176 countries’ ability to create and sustain sustainable wealth, was recently published. The index performs an analysis and ranking of the sustainable competitiveness of 176 countries based on 69 sustainability indicators monitored by the UN, the World Bank divided by four different sectors: natural capital,resource efficiency, sustainable economic development, and social consensus.
The index was first developed and published in 2012, based on a competitiveness model that incorporates all aspects required to sustain wealth, the environment,and social cohesion. The four main pillars of the model are: natural capital(the availability of natural resources), resource efficiency (as a measurement of industrial competitiveness), sustainable innovation (as a measurement of the capability to sustain economic activities in a competitive global market) and social cohesion (the foundations of smooth operation and secure investments).
Scandinavian nations have tightened their grip on the top four positions,followed by Central and Northern European Nations. Canada (7) is the only non-European country in the top ten. The large economies keep their position within the rankings: Japan (12), the UK (25), the USA (27). Brazil (28) is highest ranked amongst the BRICS countries. Asian nations (Singapore, South Korea, Japan, and China) remain leading in terms of sustaining innovation capabilities.
Natural capital and resource efficiency rankings are topped by countries with high availability of water resources, favourable climate conditions, and rich biodiversity. Clear distinctions are visible between countries within the same development stages. Large parts of the human population are living in countries with high natural capital depletion combined with low resource efficiency(China, India), raising concerns regarding the capabilities to achieve sustainable wealth. The social cohesion ranking is headed by Scandinavian and Northern European countries, indicating that a strong social fabric is a result of the combination of economic development and equality initiatives. Further details can be seen at: www.solability.com/pdfs/Sustainable_Competitiveness_Index_2013.pdf
Walter Leal FilhoHamburg University of Applied Sciences, Hamburg, Germany
