Climate Change Performance Index shows decline in emissions of majority of countries

The 2020 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) was released at the COP 25 Conference in Madrid on December 10, 2019. The CCPI is an independent monitoring tool of countries’ climate protection performance. It aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables the comparability of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.

The ranking results are defined by a country’s aggregated performance in 14 indicators within the four categories “GHG Emissions”, “Renewable Energy” and “Energy Use”, as well as on “Climate Policy”, in a globally unique policy section of the index.

Within the categories GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy and Energy Use the CCPI also evaluates to what extent the respective countries are taking adequate action to be on track towards the global Paris-goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. Therefore, the CCPI is an important tool to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.

2020 CCPI Results:

The new Climate Change Performance Index shows signs of a global turnaround in emissions, including declining coal consumption. However, several large countries are still trying to resist this trend - above all the US. We see opportunities for a halt to rising global emissions - but much will depend on further developments in China and the elections in the US. Both countries are at the cross roads.

• In 31 of the 57 high emitting countries assessed, collectively responsible for 90% of emissions, falling emission trends have been recorded.
• Global coal consumption is falling.
• The results illustrate the main regional differences in climate protection and performance within the 57 evaluated countries and the EU.
• No country performs well enough in all index categories to achieve an overall very high rating in the index. Therefore, once again the first three ranks remain empty. 

• Sweden leads the ranking on rank 4 and USA for the first time replaces Saudi Arabia as worst performing country.
• Australia, Saudi Arabia and especially the USA give cause for great concern with their low to very low performance in emissions and renewable energy development as well as climate policy. With these three governments massively influenced by the coal and oil lobby, there are hardly any signs of serious climate policy in sight. On the other hand, global coal consumption is falling and the boom in renewable energy continues.
• China, the largest global emitter, once again slightly improves its ranking to 30th place ("medium"). China scores with a very good performance for its increased share of renewables in the energy mix over recent years and relatively good policy ratings, but the poor performance in emissions and energy efficiency still weighs heavily. If China implements its extensive plans for new coal-fired power plants, there is a risk of a severe relapse to the bottom of the ranking.
• India is now within the top 10 countries.

Ranking of Selected Countries

(First 3 ranks not awarded to any country)

Rank	Country
4	Sweden
5	Denmark
6	Morocco
7	UK
8	Lithuania
9	India
10	Finland
18	France
19	Egypt
22	European Union
23	Germany
30	China
32	Mexico
36	South Africa
39	Indonesia
51	Japan
52	Russia
53	Malaysia
55	Canada
56	Australia
57	Iran
58	Korea
59	Chinese Taipei
60	Saudi Arabia
61	US

This science based assessment shows again that in particular the large climate polluters do hardly anything for the transformational shift we need to deep emissions reductions to curtail the run to potentially irreversible climate change. If necessary and strongly enhanced climate finance and loss and damage support by the wealthy nations for the poorer countries were to be included also the various higher ranking European countries would be performing much lower in the scores.