In the latest Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) that monitors climate protection performance of 57 countries and the European Union, India ranks an impressive tenth, far ahead of New Zealand that comes in at 35 and Australia nearly at the bottom of the pile at 58, just ahead of Saudi Arabia at 63.
Interestingly, no country has been able to achieve the first three spots this year, the list starting with Denmark at number four. In effect, then, India ranks seventh.
Published every year since 2005, the CCPI is an independent monitoring tool for tracking climate protection performance of countries. The tool enables transparency in international climate politics and comparability of the climate protection efforts and progress of the 57 individual countries and the European Union that it lists. These countries account for about 92 percent emissions of global greenhouse gases, abbreviated as GHG.
The annual results are compiled involving some 400 national experts evaluating their countries’ most recent national and international climate policies and initiatives. The tool measures the countries in four categories — GHG emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy. By the high ranking it has received, India has done better than New Zealand with progress in these areas.
The CCPI is distributed to key media worldwide, sparking debates in climate circles in every country and globally. CCPI is therefore a powerful index to hold governments accountable “for their responsibility to act on the climate crisis, to inform the process of raising climate ambition, and to stimulate a race to the top in climate action,” according to the CCPI website.
India excels to claim #10 spot
“India’s performance was rated high in the GHG Emissions, Energy Use, and Climate Policy categories, and medium in Renewable Energy. The subcontinent is already on track to meet its 2030 emissions target (which is compatible with a well-below-2°C scenario), close to achieving its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target of a 40% share for non-fossil fuel installed power capacity by 2030, and on course for a targeted 33–35% reduction in energy intensity by the same year,” the report says.
Despite India’s overall high performance, experts argue that the country should set the net zero target for 2050 and leverage its domestic success on renewables and emissions intensity into international initiatives. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, said that India had set a 2070 target for net zero.
Indian experts who have agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI are Ranjan Panda (Combat Climate Change Network); Sanjay Vashist (CAN South Asia); Shruti Neelakantan (Dublin City University); Srinivas Krishnaswamy (Vasudha Foundation).
New Zealand dropped seven points to 35
“New Zealand continues to rate low in the GHG Emissions category and high in Renewable Energy. In the Energy Use category, however, the country improves to medium, while Climate Policy decreases to low,” the report says.
“New Zealand has adopted a legally binding net zero emissions target (excluding biogenic methane) for 2050, through its Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019, which experts evaluate as a strong policy. This amendment to the Act introduced no policies for cutting emissions, but instead set a framework. Nevertheless, appropriate measures to fully reach this 2050 goal are not in place. In particular, the biogenic methane emissions resulting from agriculture are addressed separately under the Act.”
The report says New Zealand’s measures do not go far enough and records experts’ criticism: “The CCPI experts demand a more ambitious target for this sector to make a 1.5°C-compatible pathway possible, especially because agriculture accounts for about 48% of national GHG emissions (excluding land use, land use change, and forestry). Moreover, the already insufficient emissions targets lack implementation, and the country relies on reforestation to accomplish its goals.
“The country’s main instrument for reducing greenhouse gas emissions is an emissions trading scheme. Experts criticise the price ceiling as unreasonably low and criticise the agriculture sector’s exclusion.”
The experts additionally note that New Zealand should proactively support indigenous people’s rights in international and national climate policy.
New Zealand experts who agreed to be mentioned as contributors for this year’s CCPI are Amanda Larsson, Genevieve Toop (Greenpeace NZ); WWF-NZ; David Tong (Oil Change International); Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand Inc.
Australia scores poorly
The experts have described Australia’s international standing has having been damaged by climate denialism by politicians, refusal to increase ambition, and refusal to recommit to international green finance mechanisms (accompanying a very low rating for the International Climate Policy indicator). Australia has fallen behind its allies and its inaction even attracted public criticism in the run-up to COP26. The country receives ratings of very low for its performance in every CCPI category: GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, and Climate Policy.
India, high rankers can’t rest on their achievements
“Even greater efforts and actions by governments are needed to set the world on track to keep global warming well below a 2°C increase. Even better, 1.5°C,” the report rightly says.