Development Indexes and its Relation with the Environmental Performance

The development and enhancement of the environmental standards and performances of a community depend on its economic, social and political development. The current research aims to examine this hypothesis and investigate the most significant factors affecting the Environmental Performance Index (EPI). Methodologically, this research is carried out based on the secondary analysis of global data gathered between the years 2006 and 2016. The EPI in Iran has the second rank after the OECD countries, and has had a better performance compared to the Middle East countries and the Global Average. The OECD countries have the first rank in all the development indexes, as well as the EPI. Iran, on the other hand, ranks below the OECD countries and above the Middle East ones and the Global Average in the education, income, health, and population growth rate indexes. In indexes such as the usage of ICTs, gender equality and democracy it ranks below the Middle East countries and the Global Average. The research indicates the influence of economic development indexes (e.g. the income), social development indexes (e.g. the education, gender equality, population growth rate, health status and usage of ICTs), and political development indexes (e.g. democracy index) on the EPI.