Resumen
Growing environmental problems of modern age capture attention of the global society. Man, as a major factor in the process of disturbing the optimal environmental balance, is considered to be the most responsible for the emergence of the environmental crisis that manifests itself in all spheres of life. Due to a growing number of environmental problems that require urgent attention, it is necessary to increase awareness of the problems that surround us. In the future, it is necessary to develop environmental (?green?) economy, rationalize consumption, and instill a higher level of environmental awareness into future generations, in order to reduce environmental problems to a minimum level. It should be borne in mind that the environmental dimension is the underlying component of sustainable development of modern mankind. In line with this, the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) methodology has been developed. On the basis of this methodology and the presentation of ranking of countries according to the environmental performance, the work analyzes the state of environmental development in Serbia and neighboring countries.Key words: globalization, environmental problems, environmental crisis, Environmental Performance Index (EPI).