Climate Change Performance Index

Climate Change Performance Index

News: India has been placed 7th in this year's Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).

Background:
• India has been ranked seventh in climate performance during 2022. But the country is effectively fourth as no one has occupied the first three ranks in the ‘very high’ performance category, showed an annual report published on the sidelines of the ongoing COP28 at Dubai on December 8.
• India showed an improvement of one spot over last year’s performance when it was ranked eighth.

About CCPI:
• Published annually since 2005, the CCPI tracks countries’ efforts to combat climate change. As an independent monitoring tool it aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.
• Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network publish the index annually.

Key Findings:
• The Index evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of 63 countries and the European Union, covering over 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
• China, the largest polluter came in at number 51 while the US, the second biggest emitter came in at number 57.
• India's past performance in the CCPI ranking shows significant improvement from 31st rank in 2014 to seventh in 2023.
• Denmark retained the top spot with a score of 75.59 per cent. Estonia and the Philippines occupied the second and third ranks respectively, with 72.07 and 70.70. India followed closely with 70.25 per cent, shows the report Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2024.
• Among developed countries, Italy slipped 15 positions in ranking, United Kingdom and France nine positions, Japan eight positions and the United States has been pushed back five positions. Germany and the European Union improved marginally.

Significance for India:
• India's success is attributed to its robust performance in the greenhouse gas category, with a notable emphasis on the food sector, which holds significant weight in the CCPI.
• The Policy Evaluation, rated in the upper range of medium, further contributes to India's commendable standing. However, a critical observation emerges regarding India's heavy reliance on fossil fuels, prompting speculation about its future ranking if emission rates continue to escalate.
• The report underscores the pivotal role of renewable energy in influencing emissions, highlighting the potential impact on India's standing in the next assessment.
• A comparative analysis with China reveals India's per capita emissions at half the global average, while China's figures already surpass the world average.
• The report concludes with a call for international collaboration and support for India's transition to renewable energy.