Multi-Criteria Analysis of Green Competitiveness of the EU Countries

For decades, problems related to environmental protection have been treated as a barrier to socio-economic growth. Actions for green growth and sustainable development, however, contribute to a gradual change in the perception of environmental issues. In integrating Europe, many of these elements are to be found in environmental and economic policy as part of its strategy (Europe 2020). What's more the resources and values of the environment are often considered in terms of natural capital, as a source of achieving competitive advantage at different levels. The main goal of the paper is to compare the green competitiveness of the European Union countries. Research was carried out based on the taxonomic metrics and indicators of state, pressure, and protection of the environment. Based on certain predefined criteria the environmental potential of each country was assessed for the years 2000-2016. The adopted method made it possible to evaluate the studied phenomenon as a whole, providing grounds for assigning the selected countries into four groups characterized by a similar level of green competitiveness.