SYLLABUS

GS-3: Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment 

Context: Recently, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2026 was released on the sidelines of the UN climate conference (COP30) in Belem, Brazil.

Key Findings 

• Top Performers: 

• Denmark remains the highest-ranked country, placed at 4th with 80.52 points.
• United Kingdom and Morocco follow in 5th and 6th positions, with scores of 70.8 and 70.75, respectively.
• The top three positions continue to remain vacant, as no country achieved an overall ‘very high’ rating across all indicators.

• Global Climate Action Overview: 

• Despite increased attention, global efforts remain inadequate to prevent dangerous climate change.
• G20 countries, responsible for over 75% of global emissions, show generally poor performance.
• Only the United Kingdom among the G20 received a “high” rating. 
• Ten G20 nations, including China, USA, Russia, Australia, Japan, and Saudi Arabia, are classified as “very low” performers, largely due to continued dependence on fossil fuels.

• Lowest-Ranked Countries: 

• Saudi Arabia is ranked 67th,  followed by Iran (66th) and the United States (65th).
• These countries remain heavily reliant on oil and gas and other fossil fuels, significantly slowing progress toward global climate goals.

• India’s Performance: 

• India has fallen 13 places, moving from 10th (CCPI 2025) to 23rd (CCPI 2026).
• India’s rating has shifted from “high performer” to “medium” performer.
• Category-wise performance:
   GHG Emissions: Medium
   Energy Use: Medium
   Climate Policy: Medium
   Renewable Energy: Low
• The decline is attributed to:
   India’s continued heavy reliance on coal,
   Absence of a clear coal exit timeline,
   Rising domestic production and consumption of coal, which slows progress toward renewable energy targets.

About the Report 

• The CCPI report is jointly published by Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute, and the Climate Action Network.

• It has been released annually since 2005.  

• It serves as an independent monitoring tool assessing climate mitigation performance.

• The index evaluates the climate mitigation performance of 63 countries and the European Union, collectively responsible for over 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

• Countries are evaluated across four categories:

• Greenhouse-Gas Emissions (weight 40 %)
• Renewable Energy (20 %)
• Energy Use (20 %)
• Climate Policy (20 %)

Sources:
IndianExpress