Climate Change Performance Index 2021: India slips down by one position to 10th rank, US ranked last

India has been ranked in the top 10 for the second year in a row in this year’s global Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which was released in Germany on December 7, 2020. 

The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is prepared after assessing the performances of 57 countries and the European Union (as a whole) in four categories. These 57 countries and the European Union collectively are responsible for about 90 percent of the global GHG emissions.

Following are the four assessment categories: 

1. GHG emissions (40%)
2. Renewable energy (20%)
3. Energy use (20%)
4. Climate policy (20%). 

Key Highlights 

•India is ranked at the 10th position on the Climate Change Performance Index 2021. India slid down by one position, as it was ranked 9th in last year’s Index. 

•However, India’s journey towards climate protection has been consistent with it improving its ranking from 31st in 2014.

•Only two G20 nations- the UK and India - are among the high rankers in CCPI 2021, which covers the year 2020. 

•Six other G20 nations including the US, Canada, South Korea, Russia, Australia and Saudi Arabia are ranked at the bottom of the index. 

•While the US is ranked 61st, Saudi Arabia is ranked 60th, Iran 59th, Canada 58th, Australia 54th and Russia 52nd. 

•This is the second time in a row that the US, which is the largest historical polluter, is ranked at the bottom. 

•China, which is the biggest current emitter of greenhouse gases, is ranked at the 33rd position on the CCPI 2021 report. 

Following are the top 10 nations on the  Climate Change Performance Index 2021:

Impact 

Despite fairing well on the annual CCPI report, none of the countries assessed globally are on the path to meet the Paris Agreement commitment of restricting the temperature rise to 1.5 degree celsius and keeping global warming rise below 2 degree celsius by the end of the century.

India at CCPI 2021

•India received high ratings in all CCPI categories except Renewable Energy, where it had a medium performance.

•India performed medium and high for its current shares of renewable energy and development of renewable energy supply in the last year, respectively.

•India’s high ratings can be contributed to India’s policy frameworks, as per experts. 

•Experts did recognise the need, however, for long-term planning. 

•The CCPI results show a similar need, as the country’s renewable energy uptake and targets scored low and medium, respectively, for their compatibility with a well-below-2°C trajectory.

•India has yet to announce its long-term mitigation strategy unlike China and its BASIC partner South Africa.

•As per experts, India’s long-term mitigation strategy should include a post-COVID green recovery plan, including reducing fossil fuel subsidies, phasing out usage of coal and better coordination frameworks between the central and state governments.

•The strategy should also include raising self-sufficiency by promoting domestic manufacturing in the renewables sector. 

What is CCPI?

The Climate Change Performance Index is developed by not-for-profit organisations Germanwatch and NewClimate Institute (Germany) together with the Climate Action Network (CAN International). 

The index is prepared to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries. The report shows that overall GHG emissions have increased slightly, but are falling in more than half of the countries (32) surveyed.