Several new user-friendly spreadsheets are now available for the 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) and the Pilot Trend EPI, as well as a Historical EPI spreadsheet that includes back-casted rankings for countries over the last decade. These documents provide step-by-step calculations, methods, and a data dictionary that can walk a user through the scores and rankings for 132 countries represented in the EPI analyses.  They are available for download in Excel format.

Each of the three new spreadsheets provides users a straightforward way to view important information in easy-to-follow worksheets. Details are given with regards to the EPI Framework (Figure 1), including indicators, objectives, data sources, weighting and targets, and statistical transformations, along with descriptions of calculations and collections of ranks and time-series data. The spreadsheets include tabular worksheets for each of the following:

• Title Page: Information about the data set.
• Framework: Overview of indicators, objectives, policy categories, weights, data sources, available time series, targets, low performance benchmarks, and statistical transformations.
• Calculations and Aggregations: Step-by-step description of calculations and decision rules used for aggregations.
• Data Inputs and Products: Numerical values and scores for each indicator and policy objective.
• Ranks: Calculated ranks for 132 countries with EPI scores.
• Data Dictionary: Descriptions of variable and indicator code names.

Figure 1 – 2012 EPI Framework Worksheet Screenshot

In addition, the Pilot Trend EPI spreadsheet contains a worksheet, Data Inputs, with the 2000-2010 data used in the Pilot Trend EPI analysis. The Historical EPI spreadsheet includes a worksheet for the complete raw time series data, which provide the back-casted rankings (shown on the ‘Ranks’ tab) using the 2012 EPI Framework and time-series data. These back-casted rankings allow users to see what a country’s score would be in previous years, from 2000 to 2010, using the framework, data, and methodology in the most recent 2012 release of the EPI. Comparisons between the 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012 EPIs were previously not feasible, due to the evolving methods and data sources over the years. However, the ranks in the Historical EPI provide users the information they need to compare their progress and change in rankings over time.

Because many new users may have questions regarding the new EPI process, the 2012 EPI and Historical EPI spreadsheets include thorough explanations of calculations and aggregations for the 2012 EPI. The Pilot Trend EPI spreadsheet also contains a similar worksheet describing the Pilot Trend EPI process. Additionally, all spreadsheets contain detailed data dictionaries that describe variable and indicator code names to allow users to quickly decipher information.

These worksheets offer a convenient way to view and download summaries of information about the 2012 Environmental Performance Index and compare a country’s performance over the years. It should be noted that these spreadsheets include only the rankings of countries for which we were able to calculate an EPI. For additional information, complete indicator profiles describing data sources and processing methods are located inAppendix 1 of the 2012 EPI Report and previous EPI reports.

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Laura Johnson is a Master of Environmental Science (MESc ’13) candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. She is also a member of the Research Team for the 2012 Environmental Performance Index.