Climate Change Performance Index


The Climate Change Performance Index is an instrument designed by the German environmental and development organisation Germanwatch e.V. to enhance transparency in international climate politics. On the basis of standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 57 countries and the European Union , which are together responsible for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The Climate Change Performance Index was first published in 2005 and an updated version is presented at the UN Climate Change Conference annually. Germanwatch publishes the index in cooperation with the NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network International and with financial support from Barthel Foundation. The most important results are available in German, English, French and Spanish.

Methodology

In 2017, the underlying methodology of the CCPI was revised and adapted to the new climate policy framework of the Paris Agreement from 2015. The CCPI was extended in order to include the measurement of a country’s progress towards the Nationally Determined Contributions and the country’s 2030 targets. The national performances are assessed based on 14 indicators in the following four categories:
1. GHG emissions
2. Renewable energy
3. Energy use
4. Climate policy
The three categories “GHG emissions”, “Renewable energy” and “Energy use” are each defined by four equally weighted indicators: 1) current level, 2) recent developments 2°C compatibility of the current performance and 4) 2°C compatibility of 2030 target. These twelve indicators are complemented by two indicators, measuring the country's performance regarding its national climate policy framework and implementation as well as regarding international climate diplomacy in the category "Climate Policy". The data for the “Climate policy” category is assessed annually in a comprehensive research study. Its basis is the performance rating by climate change experts from non-governmental organisations, universities and think tanks within the countries that are evaluated. In a questionnaire, they give a rating on the most important measures of their governments. The results are rated as very high, high, medium, low or very low.

Results

The results illustrate the main regional differences in climate protection efforts and performance within the 57 evaluated countries and the EU. According to the CCPI, none of the countries has yet achieved a performance across all indicators that can be qualified as very high, because no country fulfills the requirements to limit global warming to well below 2°C, as agreed in the Paris Agreement. This is why the first three places in the final ranking remain unoccupied. In the index for 2020, Sweden led the ranking, followed by Denmark and Morocco. The last three ranks were taken by the United States of America, Saudi Arabia and Chinese Taipei.

2020 results