The Environmental Democracy Index measures the degree to which countries have enacted legally binding rules that provide for environmental information collection and disclosure, public participation across a range of environmental decisions, and fair, affordable, and independent avenues for seeking justice and challenging decisions that impact the environment. The index evaluates 70 countries across 75 legal indicators, based on objective and internationally recognized standards established by the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) Bali Guidelines. EDI also includes a supplemental set of 24 limited practice indicators that provide insight on a country's performance in implementation.

Dataset type
Other
Dataset level
Country

Citation

When using this dataset, please cite as:

• World Resource Institute, & the Access Initiative. (2015). Environmental democracy index. https://environmentaldemocracyindex.org/

Variables in this dataset

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EDI measures to which degree countries have enacted legally binding rules that provide for environmental information collection and disclosure, public participation across a range of environmental dec ...

The indicator measures to which extent states ensure that the access of members of the public concerned to review procedures relating to the environment is not prohibitively expensive and to which ext ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states encourage the development and use of alternative dispute resolution mechanisms where these are appropriate. In scoring this indicator, “alternate disp ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states provide adequate information to the public about the procedures operated by courts of law and other relevant bodies in relation to environmental issu ...

The indicator measures the existence of a clear positive legal mandate that gives the public the right to access environmental information upon request. This indicator is an arithmetic average of e ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that due account is taken of the comments of the public in the decision-making process and that the decisions are made public. This indicat ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states provide broad interpretation of standing in proceedings concerned with environmental matters with a view to achieving effective access to justice. ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure the timely and effective enforcement of decisions in environmental matters taken by courts of law and by administrative and other relevant bodi ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states provide environmental information in the public domain that include, among other things, information about environmental quality, environmental impact ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states states ensure opportunities for early and effective public participation in decision-making related to the environment. This indicator is an arit ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that all information that would enable the public to take measures to prevent imminent threat of harm to human health or the environment is dis ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states provide effective procedures for timely review by courts of law or other independent and impartial bodies, or administrative procedures, of issues rel ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states clearly define in their law the specific grounds on which a request for environmental information can be refused. The grounds for refusal are to be in ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that their competent public authorities regularly collect and update relevant environmental information, including information on environmental ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that all information relevant for decision-making related to the environment is made available, in an objective, understandable, timely, and ef ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states consider appropriate ways of ensuring, at an appropriate stage, public input into the preparation of legally binding rules that might have a significa ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that any natural or legal person who considers that his or her request for environmental information has been unreasonably refused, in part or ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that decisions relating to the environment taken by a court of law, other independent and impartial or administrative body, are publicly availa ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states provide a framework for prompt, adequate and effective remedies in cases relating to the environment, such as interim and final injunctive relief. ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that the members of the public concerned have access to a court of law or other independent and impartial body to challenge the substantive and ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states make efforts to seek proactively public participation in a transparent and consultative manner, including efforts to ensure that members of the public ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that when a review process is carried out where previously unconsidered environmentally significant issues or circumstances have arisen, the pu ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states ensure that the members of the public concerned have access to a court of law or other independent and impartial body or administrative procedures to ...

The indicator measures to which extent the states periodically prepare and disseminate at reasonable intervals up-to-date information on the state of the environment, including information on its qual ...

Justice Pillar Score
QoG code: edi_jp

The Justice Pillar Score combines guidelines "Information request appeals", "Public participation appeals", "Right of public to challenge state or private actors", "Broad standing", "Fair, timely, and ...

The Access to Information Pillar Score combines guidelines "Accessibility of information requests", "Environmental information in the public domain", "Ground for refusal", "Information collection and ...

The Participation Pillar Score combines guidelines "Early public participation", "Proactive public consultation", "Informed participation", "Due account of public comments", "Public participation revi ...