{"id":110963,"date":"2025-11-19T02:16:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-19T01:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/?p=110963"},"modified":"2025-11-19T09:36:36","modified_gmt":"2025-11-19T08:36:36","slug":"climate-ranking-shows-the-world-is-making-progress-but-the-us-and-other-petrostates-are-resisting-change","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sonnenseite.com\/en\/politics\/climate-ranking-shows-the-world-is-making-progress-but-the-us-and-other-petrostates-are-resisting-change\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate ranking shows: The world is making progress, but the US and other Petrostates are resisting change"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and CAN International publish 21th edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2026): Denmark remains at the top, followed by UK and Morocco \/ Petrostates rank at the bottom: Saudi Arabia, Iran and USA \/ Dynamics in many G20 countries not yet strong enough<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ten years after the Paris Agreement, progress is clearly visible: Global per capita emissions are falling, renewable energies are growing massively, and more than 100 countries now have their own climate targets for net-zero emissions. However, the pace is still too slow to meet the Paris climate targets. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) published today by Germanwatch the NewClimate Institute, and CAN International also paints this ambivalent picture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As in previous years, the top three ranks remain vacant. Countries must accelerate climate action to align with the Paris Agreement’s temperature limit. Denmark<\/strong> remains the top-ranked country (4th). It ranks first in climate policy and is among the only three countries that achieve a very high rating in the field of renewable energies \u2013 the country is a leader in offshore energy. Denmark is followed by the United Kingdom<\/strong> (5th), which has climbed one place compared to last year. Overall, the country’s years of climate policy efforts are paying off \u2013 for example the UK already had the coal phase-out last year. However, the country still has some catching up to do, especially when it comes to renewable energy (ranked \u2018low\u2018). Morocco<\/strong> (6th) scores \u2018good\u2019 in all categories except renewable energies, where the trend is nevertheless \u2018good\u2019. The country still has very low per capita emissions and impresses with major investments in public transport and a respectable new climate target for 2035.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Niklas H\u00f6hne, (NewClimate Institute), author of the CCPI: \u2018While we cannot yet attest to any country having very good climate mitigation performance overall, there are pioneers in some categories who are demonstrating ambitious performance. Pakistan, for example, is a surprise contender in terms of emissions and energy consumption thanks to its very low per capita figures. As in previous years, Norway, Denmark and Sweden are setting the standards in renewable energies.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In contrast, there are the countries that perform worst in the ranking. The three last-placed countries in the CCPI are Saudi Arabia <\/strong>(67th), Iran<\/strong> (66th), and the USA<\/strong> (65th). Thea Uhlich, (Germanwatch), author of the CCPI: \u2018The USA has suffered a particularly remarkable decline \u2013 ranking third to last in the overall standings just behind Russia. The largest oil- and gas-producing countries are virtually among themselves and show no sign of departing from fossil fuels as a business model. This means they are missing out on an opportunity to embrace the future.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
G20 countries: Only one good \u2013 ten very weak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u2018There is positive momentum for renewable energies and electrification worldwide. However, we also see a worrying picture among the major emitters \u2013 the G20 countries \u2013 with only one country in the \u2018high\u2019 category and ten in the \u2018very low\u2019 category, \u2019 says Uhlich. Although the G20 countries are responsible for more than 75 percent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and have a special responsibility, only one G20 country, the UK, achieves a \u2018high\u2018 rating in the ranking. It is particularly worrying that ten G20 countries are still classified as \u2018very low\u2018 (Turkey<\/strong>, China<\/strong>, Australia<\/strong>, Japan<\/strong>, Argentina<\/strong>, Canada<\/strong>, Korea<\/strong>, Russia<\/strong>, USA, Saudi Arabia), followed by three more in the low category: South Africa<\/strong>, Indonesia<\/strong>,and Italy<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The largest carbon emitter, China<\/strong> (54th), has improved by one place but \u2013 despite the dynamics on the way to the first electro state – still has a very low rating. Only in the area of climate policy is China achieving a \u2018high\u2018. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the first quarter of 2025, China’s emissions declined \u2013 this could be an indication that emissions in China have peaked. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Janet Milongo, (CAN International): \u2018Any country\u2019s progress on renewables must be matched by a full, fast and fair phase-out of fossil fuels. China\u2019s leadership on electric vehicles, batteries and renewable energy provides a vision of the energy system transformation required, but this progress is undermined by its continued expansion of coal and other fossil fuels. Climate leadership is undone when a country drives both clean energy and fossil fuel growth at the same time. To keep the 1.5 degree goal alive and protect vulnerable communities, every nation must stop building new fossil infrastructure and commit to a just, equitable transition away from all fossil fuels.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n
India<\/strong> (23th), one of the largest emitters, is one of the biggest faller in this year’s ranking, landing in the \u2018medium\u2018 category. Jan Burck, (Germanwatch), author of the CCPI: \u2018The decline in the ranking is due to a combination of factors. India ranks last in terms of emissions trends, as emissions have been rising steadily in recent years. At the same time, energy consumption is increasing. India has also lost many places in climate policy rankings mainly due to its lack of a plan to phase out coal or even a concrete phase-out date. If India will reduce the building of new coal power plants and continues the promising trend for renewables, the country can achieve a much better ranking again next year.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n