The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which attracts significant attention annually in Taiwan, released its latest rankings today (8th) at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28). Of the 63 countries evaluated, the top three remained vacant. Denmark remained at the top, as it did last year, with the Philippines and India rounding out the top ten. Taiwan dropped four spots to 61st, placing it in the bottom tier of "very poor" climate performance, along with the United Arab Emirates, the host country of this year's COP, as well as Russia and the United States.
Climate policy indicators across countries don't perform well, even Denmark, which tops the list, isn't strong enough.
The CCPI, a joint assessment by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network (CAN), has been published for the 19th consecutive year. The CCPI monitors the climate performance of 63 countries and the 27 EU member states based on four key indicators: greenhouse gas emissions (40%), renewable energy development (20%), energy use (20%), and climate policy (20%). The countries included in the assessment account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
This year, the top three remain empty, with no country meeting the 1.5°C target. Denmark, the fourth-place leader, remains unchanged from last year. Estonia climbs four spots to fifth. The Philippines, India, and the Netherlands round out the top eight spots.
Jan Burck, a senior adviser to German Watchdog, pointed out that "some countries perform well on a single indicator, but no country can get 'good' or 'very good' in all indicators. No country is currently on track to prevent climate change from reaching the brink of danger." Niklas Höhne, one of the co-authors of the CCPI and head of the New Climate Institute, added that this is also the first time that no country has performed "well" on the climate policy indicator. Even countries with relatively ambitious climate policies, such as Denmark, have almost come to a standstill in climate action since the general election in October 2022.
The UAE was ranked last for the first time, with the US "still not on track."
China, the world's largest emitter, remained unchanged this year at 51st place, while the United States, the world's second-largest emitter, dropped five spots to 57th. The CCPI noted that the United States "remains off track." James Burke stated that the United States received very poor scores in greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, and energy use, but was rated "average" on climate policy. "Experts praised the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which spurred significant investment in renewable energy, but more specific implementation policies are needed across all sectors."
It is worth noting that the United Arab Emirates, the host country of COP28, was evaluated for the first time this year and ranked third from the bottom (65th), along with other oil-producing countries Iran (66th) and Saudi Arabia (67th).
Taiwan drops four spots, receiving a "very poor" rating for greenhouse gas emissions
Taiwan dropped four spots this year to 61st, the seventh-lowest ranking. Looking at the sub-indicators, Taiwan received "poor" ratings in renewable energy development (51st) and climate policy (24th), while greenhouse gas emissions (64th) and energy use (57th) received "very poor" ratings.
Taiwan's performance this time, like in previous years, received better scores in the "trend indicators" of greenhouse gases, renewable energy, and energy use. Among them, the "renewable energy current trend" also received a "good" rating (High) like last year.
At the meeting, a Taiwanese reporter asked why Taiwan ranked low and how to improve. James responded that Taiwan's per capita carbon emissions are higher than those of China and India, and while the country is developing renewable energy, the pace is still too slow. "I know Taiwan is facing some difficulties in this development, but that's no excuse. Every country needs to accelerate its development. Furthermore, Taiwan has proposed a new policy to increase the proportion of renewable energy to 30%, which is very positive."
Janet Milongo, senior specialist at the Climate Action Network, reminded that many countries have set targets, but this alone is not enough. It is very important to have measurable targets and a clear roadmap.
Brazil's performance was impressive, while Italy's decline was the biggest
Compared to other G20 countries, Brazil performed exceptionally well, jumping 15 spots to 23rd. Brazil also boasts one of the highest percentages of renewable energy globally, with approximately 80% of its electricity generated from renewable sources. Under President Lula's leadership, Brazil has actively pursued climate policies, with significant success in reducing deforestation and forest degradation. Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon has decreased by 50% compared to the same period in 2022.
The EU ranked 16th this year, up three spots from last year, receiving a "medium" rating in all four categories. CCPI experts noted that while the EU's adoption of the "Fit for 55" package and related legislation this year represented a significant legislative step forward, it still falls short of achieving its emissions reduction targets.
The UK's ranking dropped from 11th last year to 20th. CCPI experts pointed out that since Prime Minister Sunak took office, the UK government has withdrawn several climate bills and approved numerous licenses to increase domestic fossil fuel extraction. "What is happening in the UK is exactly the opposite of what we need."
Milonga pointed out that this year's CCPI report showed that oil-producing countries ranked at the bottom, and the largest fossil fuel producers and exporters performed the worst, which shows the importance of accelerating the elimination of fossil fuels.
- The report refers to our country as Chinese Taipei, and this article faithfully presents the report's terminology in the charts and tables.
Reference: 2024 Climate Change Performance Indicator (CCPI)
Source: Environmental Information Centre
