The Climate Change Performance Index 2019 (CCPI), published today at the climate summit COP24 by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network (CAN) shows that three years after the adoption of the Paris Agreement, none of the 56 evaluated countries nor the EU are doing enough to achieve the temperature goals agreed in Paris. Countries must urgently increase their targets and scale up action to implement them.
The CCPI evaluates and compares the performance of 56 countries and the EU. The top three places in the ranking are unoccupied, because none of the countries are doing enough to limit temperature rise to 1.5°C. With comparably good ratings in emissions and renewables Sweden (rank 4) leads the ranking. Other European countries performing relatively well include Lithuania (6), Latvia (7), the United Kingdom (8), Switzerland (9), Malta (10), Norway (12) and Finland (13).
With relatively high per capita emissions and also currently not being on track to achieve its weak 2030 target, the EU as a whole is ranked 16th. With regard to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the development of renewable energy and reducing energy demand, the EU’s performance is only rated ‘medium’. The EU scores better on its climate policies, in particular for its positive role in the global climate diplomacy, and the recently started discussions on moving towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Commenting on the CCPI results for European countries, Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe said:
“Not only is the EU’s 2030 target still too weak to meet the Paris Agreement commitments, the EU’s emissions have been stalled for three consecutive years. Several EU countries are not on track to meet their 2020 climate and energy targets and bring about real change at home.
To restore its role as a global climate leader at COP24, the EU needs to commit to significantly increase its 2030 climate target well beyond the 55% supported by the European Parliament and some Member States. EU Member States also urgently need to accelerate current emission cuts and should aim at overachieving the currently weak 2020 targets.”
National experts commend France (rank 21) for its constructive and leading role in the international climate diplomacy, but criticise the lack of tangible action to reduce emissions especially in the transport and building sectors. Germany (rank 27) performs low, as emissions have not decreased since 2009, and decisions on a coal phase-out and a strategy to decarbonise the transport sector are still lacking.
Poland (rank 41), the host country of this year’s UN climate summit COP 24, receives an overall low rating. Poland lacks any coordinated long-term policy strategies for reducing the high dependency on coal, transport emissions are rising fast and the development of renewable energy is stalled. Ireland (rank 48) is the worst-performing EU country in the CCPI, remaining a deplorable member of the group of very-low performing countries.
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Notes
The Climate Change Performance Index by Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute published together with the Climate Action Network (CAN) is a ranking of the 56 countries and the EU, together responsible for about 90% of global GHG emissions. The four categories examined are: GHG emissions (40%), renewable energy (20%), energy use (20%) and climate policy (20%). The latter is based on expert assessments by NGOs and think tanks from the respective countries. The CCPI also evaluates to what extent the respective countries are taking adequate action within the categories emissions, renewables and energy use to being on track towards the global Paris-goal of limiting global warming to well below 2°C. Therefore, the CCPI is an important tool in contributing to a clearer understanding of national and international climate policy.
CAN Europe supports the publication and can comment on the assessment of the performance of European countries.
Contact: Ania Drazkiewicz, CAN Europe Head of Communications, ania@caneurope.org, +32 494 525 738
Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe is Europe’s leading NGO coalition fighting dangerous climate change. With over 150 member organisations from 35 European countries, representing over 1.700 NGOs and more than 40 million citizens, CAN Europe promotes sustainable climate, energy and development policies throughout Europe.
