Hungary's Responsibility Towards The Environment

Hungary Republic of Hungary [Country Profile Page]
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	33rd best
Capital	Budapest
Land Area	90 530km21
Location	Europe
Population	9.7m2
Life Expectancy	74.53yrs (2017)3
GNI	$32 789 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	HU, HUN, 3485
Internet Domain	.hu6
Currency	Forint (HUF)7
Telephone	+368

In terms of its responsibility towards the environment, Hungary is 47th in the world. This rank is computed using 21 data sets. Hungary does better than average in its score on the Green Future Index₉ (but bad for Europe), its environmental performance₁₀ (but bad for Europe), its forested percent change 2000-2020₁₁, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment and in energy to GDP efficiency₁₂. Hungary doesn't do so well in other areas. Hungary does worse than average in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₁₃ (still high for Europe) and in reducing annual meat consumption per person₁₄.

1. Hungary's Responsibility Towards The Environment
2. Data Sets
   1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020
   2. Environmental Performance
   3. Energy to GDP Efficiency
   4. International Accords on the Environment
   5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment
   6. Meat Consumption
   7. Green Future Index
3. Links

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1. Hungary's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#climate_change #the_environment

Compared to Europe (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Switzerland	45.0
2	Denmark	50.4
3	Liechtenstein	56.8
	...
9	Italy	63.1
10	Ireland	63.1
11	Cyprus	64.8
12	Hungary	65.8
13	Norway	66.9
14	Netherlands	71.1
15	Luxembourg	71.4
16	Sweden	71.8
17	Finland	71.9
	Europe Avg	86.45
q=48.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)15
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank15
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
44	Cyprus	64.8
45	Dominican Rep.	65.0
46	Ecuador	65.6
47	Hungary	65.8
48	Guatemala	66.1
49	Lesotho	66.1
50	Mexico	66.3
51	Norway	66.9
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₁₆. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

2. Data Sets

2.1. Forest Area Change 2000-2020

#biodiversity #deforestation #environmentalism #forests #over-exploitation #the_environment

Forest Area Change 2000-2020 Higher is better11
Pos.		Total11
1	Guernsey	82.6%
2	Bahrain	75.2%
3	Iceland	64.7%
	...
40	Réunion	8.1%
41	UK	7.8%
42	Martinique	7.2%
43	Hungary	6.8%
44	India	6.7%
45	Costa Rica	6.2%
46	Switzerland	6.0%
47	Belarus	5.9%
	Europe Avg	8.2%
	World Avg	-0.1%
q=234.

With regard to its forested percent change 2000-2020, Hungary is positioned 43rd in the world.

Forests are carbon sinks, mitigating against climate change_17,18. Unfortunately, we are destroying over 70,000 km² of forest each year₁₉. In the last few thousand years, we've removed 30-40% of the Earth's forest cover_20,18, mostly to clear space for agriculture, and for logging_21,22. The produce from both is shipped from poorer countries to richer ones. Half-hearted government efforts and company obfuscation of supply chains makes it almost impossible for consumers to tell which foods and products are from sustainable sources, and which ones are encouraging irresponsible deforestation, meaning that there is little incentive for companies to relent.

The effects are catastrophic. 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions are the result of deforestation_23,21. It brings soil erosion from wind and rain which, over time, can almost-permanently stop any hope of growing food₂₄, and spreads desertification. Entire ecosystems are collapsing as a result, including ones that we depend upon₂₅. The water cycle is driven by forests, and their loss reduces ordinary rainfall, increases flooding, removes an abundant source of water filtration, and contributes to a rise in water levels.₂₆.

Some regions of the world are increasing their forest cover₁₈; the best from 2000-2020 are Scandinavia (13.8% ), The Balkans (11.0% ) and Baltic States (7.6% )₁₁. There is an overall trend that developed countries gathered their riches by using up their natural resources, and now, they pay poorer countries to use up theirs instead, whilst they can afford to slowly rebuild their natural environments. But it's not wholly that simple - some rich regions are still burning through what they've got. The regions clearing their forests fastest are Central America (-12.8% ), Africa (-9.1% ) and North America (-2.9% )₁₁.

For more, see:

• "Deforestation" by Vexen Crabtree (2024).

Averages by decade for Hungary (for the ranks, lower is better):

Forest Area Change 2000-2020	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Hungary:	6.5%	0.3%
World Rank:	29th	⇣  76th
World Avg:	0.6%	-0.7%

2.2. Environmental Performance

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Environmental Performance Higher is better10
Pos.		201810
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
40	Albania	65.5
41	Croatia	65.5
42	Colombia	65.2
43	Hungary	65.0
44	Belarus	65.0
45	Romania	64.8
46	Dominican Rep.	64.7
47	Uruguay	64.7
	Europe Avg	69.6
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Hungary ranks 43rd in the world regarding its environmental performance.

The Environmental Performance Index 2018 data includes 24 indicators including air pollution, water and sanitation, biodiversity, ecosystems and environmental health, combined into a single score by country, by the Yale University Center for Environmental Law & Policy.

2.3. Energy to GDP Efficiency

#energy #sustainability #the_environment

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better12
Pos.		2022 Avg12
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
73	Spain	0.98
74	Peru	0.99
75	Croatia	1.00
76	Hungary	1.01
77	Poland	1.01
78	Montenegro	1.03
79	Lesotho	1.03
80	Mauritius	1.03
	Europe Avg	1.25
	World Avg	1.23
q=165.

Hungary ranks 76th in the world with regard to energy to GDP efficiency.

GDP per unit of energy consumption is often called 'Energy Intensity'. It's how efficient countries are at producing GDP in terms of primary energy use. It represents primary energy consumption using the substitution method, per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). A lower value means that less energy was used to maintain the country's GDP.

Averages by decade for Hungary (for the ranks, lower is better):

Energy to GDP Efficiency	1960s  Average	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Hungary:	2.40	2.77	2.91	2.77	1.70	1.16
World Rank:	45th	⇣  50th	⇣  117th	⇣  127th	⇡  102nd	⇡  91st
World Avg:	2.05	2.13	2.10	2.15	1.60	1.30

2.4. International Accords on the Environment

#environmentalism #internationalism

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
49	Pakistan	67%
50	Liechtenstein	66%
51	Gambia	66%
52	Hungary	66%
53	Azerbaijan	66%
54	New Zealand	66%
55	Spain	66%
56	Guatemala	66%
	Europe Avg	62.7%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197.

Hungary ranks 52nd in the world in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment.

Each country is scored using a formula that takes the date each country took up major international environmental agreements, as a ratio of maximum possible days. The agreements covered are: (1) the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal, (2) the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for certain hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides, (3) the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, (4) the Waigani Convention (for those countries that are eligible), (5) the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), (6) the Kyoto Protocol and (7) its successor, the Paris Agreement, (8) the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), (9) the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and finally, (10) the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer.

For more, see:

• " Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Hungary was one of the 19 countries that signed the Basel Convention on its very first day. It also enacted the Rotterdam Convention on obtaining prior consent for transporting certain hazardous chemicals in 2000, whilst most others delayed it until subsequent years.

“Hungary is legally bound to reach climate neutrality by 2050, and aims to achieve a 50 % reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. Hungary accounted for 1.6 % of the EU's net GHG emissions in 2023, and achieved a net emissions reduction of 32.5 % from 2005 to 2023, slightly more than the EU average reduction of 30.5 % over the same period. Emissions from sectors under the EU emissions trading system (ETS) were more than halved (-55.3 %). For the effort-sharing sectors, Hungary over-achieved its targets for 2020, and expects to deliver on the updated 2030 obligations.”

EU Climate Action Strategy 2023₂₇

Averages by decade for Hungary (for the ranks, lower is better):

International Accords on the Environment	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average	2020s  Average
Hungary:	0%	43%	70%	86%	99%	100%
World Rank:	52nd	⇡  31st	⇡  7th	⇣  45th	⇡  30th	⇡  1st
World Avg:	8.5%	23.3%	45.0%	74.4%	90.7%	95.0%

2.5. Rational Beliefs on the Environment

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better13
Pos.		2011 %13
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
71	Sierra Leone	38.6%
72	France	38.4%
73	Mongolia	38.4%
74	Hungary	38.0%
75	Mauritania	38.0%
76	Croatia	37.8%
77	Cambodia	37.1%
78	Namibia	36.6%
	Europe Avg	33.6%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Hungary comes 74th in the world in terms of the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population. In a 2023 survey, 1/3 of Hungarians identified climate change as one of the four most serious problems facing the world (compared with a 46% EU average)₂₇. "Most expect business and industry (60%) to tackle climate change, less than half consider it the task of national governments (48%) or the EU (41%), while only 18% find it to be a personal responsibility"₂₇.

2.6. Meat Consumption

#animal_rights #animal_welfare #diet #food #health #meat #veganism #vegetarianism

Meat Consumption Lower is better14
Pos.		2021 kg14
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
146	New Zealand	81.4
147	S. Korea	81.5
148	Dominica	81.6
149	Hungary	82.1
150	UK	82.3
151	Czechia	82.4
152	Bahrain	82.8
153	Qatar	83.0
	Europe Avg	71.1
	World Avg	52.5
q=185.

Regarding reducing annual meat consumption per person, Hungary ranks 149th in the world.

There are five key arguments in favour of vegetarianism which accrue even from partial adoption: (1) Vegetarian diets have notable health advantages over carnivorous diets, especially for heart and cardiovascular issues_28,29,30. (2) It is morally better to avoid killing or harming animals. (3) Plant-based diets use much less water than carnivorous ones, to the extent that agricultural and water management scientists urge governments to encourage people to switch₃₁. (4) Vegetarian food production uses substantially less land_28,32,33. And, (5) vegetarianism is better for the environment than meat-production for emissions, sewerage, pollution and chemicals usage._28,32. A plant-based diet causes 75% less greenhouse gas emissions than a typical carnivorous diet₃₃. The global food industry causes about 1/3 of all planet-heating emissions, and so "to slow the worst climate effects, the United Nations has called for a drastic reduction in meat consumption"₃₃. Despite this, "reducing appetites for carbon-intensive meat and dairy is incredibly hard"₃₄ and as countries get richer, they tend to eat more meat.

In the 2010s, meat consumption per person in Hungary was well above the global average (of 49kgs per year), putting unnecessary strain on water supplies and the environment.₁₄

On average throughout the 2010s, Hungary's rate was 76.0.

2.7. Green Future Index

#climate_change #energy #sustainability #the_environment

Green Future Index Higher is better9
Pos.		2023 Score9
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
26	Uruguay	5.1
27	China	5.1
28	Japan	5.1
29	Hungary	5.1
30	Chile	5.1
31	Czechia	5.0
32	Singapore	5.0
33	Hong Kong	4.9
	Europe Avg	5.6
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

Hungary is positioned 29th in the world in terms of its score on the Green Future Index.

The Green Futures Index (GFI) has been running since 2021, and looks at 23 data sets for over 70 countries, with a focus on effectiveness, policy and planning 'for a low carbon future. It is complementary to existing goals and frameworks for sustainable development'. Datasets include qualitative appraisals and quantitative measurements on carbon emissions across multiple sectors, renewable and nuclear energy, recycling capabilities, green technologies used in building and construction, transport, scientific and industrial green innovations and patent quantities, climate action and climate policies. Each country is then ranked by their final score.₃₅.