Noted for its environmental protection and use of clean energy, Costa Rica ranked 15th among 133 nations in the 2006 Environmental Performance Index (EPI), presented at this year’s World Economic Forum by experts from Yale University and the Earth Institute.

The study measures Environmental Health, Air Quality, Water Resources, Biodiversity and Habitat, Productive Natural Resources, and Sustainable Energy.

Costa Rica ranked above other countries in Latin America, including Chile (26), Argentina (30), BrazilPanama (37), Ecuador (40) and Mexico (66). New Zealand was ranked first in the study, followed by Sweden, Finland, and the Czech Republic. (34),

See the complete list at: http://www.yale.edu/epi/2006EPI_Rankings.pdf and the complete study at: http://www.yale.edu/opa/newsr/06-01-23-03.all.html.