Costa Rica leads the Americas and ranked fifth in the world in a comprehensive environmental performance study by Yale and Columbia Universities that evaluates sanitation, greenhouse gas emissions, agricultural policies and air pollution, among other criteria.

Out of a possible 100 points, Switzerland ranked first with 95.5 points, followed by Sweden (93.1), Norway (93.1), Finland (91.1) and Costa Rica (90.5).

 “We are putting more weight on climate change,” said Daniel Esty, the report’s lead author, who is the director of the Yale Center for Environmental Law and Policy. “Costa Rica is probably the country that has made the environment it’s most important priority and has committed itself to becoming neutral in greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Costa Rica has cut its imports of ozone depleting gases by 71% since 2004 and reduced its use of harmful agricultural chemicals like methyl bromide, which dropped from 1,070 tons in 1999 to 400 last year, according to the local weekly Tico Times.

In addition to evaluating original research, the study considered data provided by the World Health Organization, and the United Nations.