Beyond ESG. Beyond rankings. A new way to measure the sustainability of nations.
SYNE Ratings, a global sustainability intelligence, ratings, assurance company with ESG Ratings across more than 50+ countries, today announced the launch of the SYNE World Index, a new global benchmark designed to measure and compare the sustainability performance and resilience of nations.
Covering 249 countries and territories, the SYNE World Index brings together Environmental, Social, Governance and Economic performance on a common global scale, providing a broader view of national sustainability than conventional ESG assessments.
The Index currently provides valid composite scores for 180 countries, while 69 countries and territories are classified as Insufficient Data Coverage (IDC) where the minimum data threshold required for a composite score has not been met.
The Index applies a consistent AAA-D grading scale and assesses countries across four independently scored pillars:
- Environment - climate adaptation and resilience, natural resources, emissions and energy transition, biodiversity and land use
- Social - health and education, income and regional equity, housing and basic services, human rights and labour standards
- Governance - rule of law, anti-corruption, institutional capacity, transparency, political stability and accountability
- Economy - fiscal sustainability, debt trajectory, macroeconomic stability, external position, reserves and financial-system resilience
A new lens on national sustainability
The SYNE World Index is designed around,
“What if we measured the sustainability of nations the way we measure the sustainability of companies?”
Sustainability is increasingly influencing decisions made by governments, investors, financial institutions, development organisations and corporations. Climate resilience, social outcomes, institutional quality and economic resilience are interconnected - yet they are often assessed separately.
The SYNE World Index brings these dimensions together into a single analytical framework.
“Sustainability performance can no longer be assessed only at the level of individual companies. Countries, institutions and economies are increasingly being evaluated on how effectively they manage environmental risks, social development, governance and economic resilience. The SYNE World Index is designed to provide a common, transparent and scalable framework for understanding these dimensions together.”
Mr. Ginu George,
Founder & CEO, SYNE
Finland and Sweden lead the inaugural SYNE World Index
The inaugural Index identifies Finland and Sweden as the highest-ranked country, followed closely by Denmark and Norway.
Top 10 countries
|
Rank |
Country |
Region |
Environment |
Social |
Governance |
Economy |
Score |
Grade |
|
1 |
Finland |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
AAA |
A |
82 |
AA |
|
2 |
Sweden |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
AAA |
A |
82 |
AA |
|
3 |
Denmark |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
AAA |
A |
81 |
AA |
|
4 |
Norway |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
AAA |
A |
81 |
AA |
|
5 |
Austria |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
AA |
A |
77 |
AA |
|
6 |
Germany |
Europe |
A |
AA |
AA |
A |
76 |
AA |
|
7 |
Luxembourg |
Europe |
A |
AA |
AAA |
A |
76 |
AA |
|
8 |
Estonia |
Europe |
A |
AA |
AA |
A |
76 |
AA |
|
9 |
Netherlands |
Europe |
A |
AA |
AA |
A |
76 |
AA |
|
10 |
Switzerland |
Europe |
AA |
AA |
IDC |
A |
75 |
A |
The results show a strong representation of European countries among the highest-ranked nations, reflecting comparatively strong performance across multiple dimensions of sustainability, institutional quality and economic resilience.
The SYNE World Index - not simply a league table
The SYNE World Index is designed to provide more than a numerical ranking.
Countries are also assessed across two analytical dimensions - Standards Alignment and Governance-based Data Quality - creating a four-quadrant framework designed to distinguish different sustainability and data-quality profiles.
The four classifications are:
- Front Runners: Countries demonstrating stronger Environmental and Social standards alignment alongside strong Governance and data quality.
- Emerging Stars: Countries with stronger governance and data quality, but a narrower or developing Environmental and Social performance base.
- Rising Stars: Countries demonstrating stronger Environmental and Social performance where governance, institutional capacity or data verification remains under development.
- Backmarkers: Countries with comparatively limited Environmental, Social and Governance performance.
This approach recognises that two countries with similar composite scores can have fundamentally different sustainability characteristics.
Sustainability performance across the lower end of the Index
The Index also highlights significant differences in sustainability capacity and data availability across countries.
Among the lower-ranked countries with valid composite scores are Niger, Venezuela, Pakistan, Syria, Chad and Afghanistan, while Haiti, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan are among the countries positioned at the bottom of the current Index.
The current results include:
|
Rank |
Country |
Region |
Environment |
Social |
Governance |
Economy |
Score |
Grade |
|
171 |
Niger |
Africa |
C |
C |
C |
B |
39 |
C |
|
172 |
Venezuela |
South America |
B |
B |
D |
C |
39 |
C |
|
173 |
Pakistan |
Asia |
C |
C |
C |
B |
39 |
C |
|
174 |
Syria |
Asia |
C |
B |
IDC |
IDC |
39 |
C |
|
175 |
Chad |
Africa |
C |
C |
IDC |
B |
38 |
C |
|
176 |
Afghanistan |
Asia |
B |
C |
D |
B |
36 |
C |
|
177 |
Haiti |
North America |
C |
C |
C |
IDC |
35 |
C |
|
178 |
Somalia |
Africa |
C |
C |
IDC |
IDC |
33 |
C |
|
179 |
Yemen |
Asia |
C |
C |
IDC |
C |
33 |
C |
|
180 |
Sudan |
Africa |
C |
C |
D |
C |
31 |
C |
The Index deliberately distinguishes low performance from insufficient data. An IDC classification does not indicate poor sustainability performance; it indicates that the available evidence does not meet SYNE's minimum threshold for producing a composite assessment.
Built on more than 100 data sources
The SYNE World Index draws upon more than 100 public and multilateral data sources, incorporating internationally recognised datasets alongside national and other recognised sources.
These include data from organisations such as:
- United Nations Development Programme
- World Health Organization
- International Labour Organization
- World Bank
- International Monetary Fund
The Index methodology is designed to create a consistent analytical framework while recognising differences in data availability and quality across countries.
From a ranking to a sustainability intelligence framework
The SYNE World Index is intended to support a broad range of applications, including:
- Country-level sustainability benchmarking
- Sovereign and macroeconomic sustainability analysis
- Climate and ESG risk assessment
- Sustainable finance and investment research
- Policy and institutional benchmarking
- Development and impact analysis
- Corporate country-risk assessment
- Academic and sustainability research
- Stakeholder and sustainability communications
The Index is refreshed quarterly, allowing country positions and scores to evolve as underlying datasets are updated.
A common language for global sustainability
The SYNE World Index uses the AAA–D grading scale across the SYNE ratings ecosystem, creating a common language for communicating sustainability performance.
In the current Index:
- 9 countries are rated AA
- 38 countries are rated A
- 104 countries are rated B
- 29 countries are rated C
- No country currently receives an overall AAA or D composite grade
The distribution reflects the Index's emphasis on differentiated performance rather than simply identifying a single global winner.
“The objective is not simply to rank countries”
Dr. Sunley Lissy George, Chief Sustainability Officer, SYNE, said:
“The objective is not simply to rank countries. It is to create a consistent evidence base that helps stakeholders understand the different dimensions behind a country's sustainability position. By bringing environmental, social, governance and economic indicators together, the SYNE World Index can support more informed conversations around sustainability, resilience, investment and long-term development.”
A benchmark for the next generation of sustainable decision-making
The launch of the SYNE World Index comes as sustainability increasingly moves beyond corporate disclosure and into questions of national resilience, sovereign risk, capital allocation and long-term economic development.
For governments, investors, financial institutions and businesses, understanding sustainability at the country level can provide important context for decisions involving investment, supply chains, climate risk, development and capital.
The SYNE World Index is intended to provide that context through a single, structured framework.
The full SYNE World Index, including country-level scores, grades, pillar performance and methodology, is available at: SYNE World Index - ratings.syne.com
About SYNE Ratings
SYNE Ratings is a global sustainability ratings, assurance, data and intelligence organisation.
With licensing across 71 countries and jurisdictions (including India (SEBI), United Kingdom (FCA), Japan (FSA), MAS (Singapore) etc) SYNE provides market-specific sustainability assessment capabilities across major global markets.
Its solutions span ESG Ratings, Sustainability Ratings, Carbon Ratings, Supplier Ratings, Government Ratings and ESG Data. SYNE applies a consistent AAA - D rating framework to make sustainability performance measurable and comparable across markets.
Its intelligence combines Environment, Social, Governance and Economic dimensions, extending sustainability assessment beyond conventional corporate ESG.
SYNE is building a global sustainability intelligence infrastructure for investors, enterprises, governments, financial institutions and regulators.
Media Contact: Mr. Sachidanandan T. P., Director Business Services.
Contact Email: contact@syne.com
Website: https://ratings.syne.com
World Index: SYNE World Index