India among top 5 countries in global climate change performance index

India is ranked among the top five countries, and the best among the G-20 nations, under the global Climate Change Performance Index, an official statement said.

The index is published by German Watch, New Climate Institute and Climate Action Network International based in Germany.

The CCPI aims to enhance transparency in international climate politics and enables comparison of climate protection efforts and progress made by individual countries.

"India has been ranked amongst top 5 countries in the world, and the best among the G20 countries, based on its Climate Change performance," a power ministry statement said.

India jumped two spots, and is now ranked 8th as per the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI, 2023), it stated.

The latest report of CCPI, released at COP27 in November 2022, shows Denmark, Sweden, Chile and Morocco as the only four small countries that were ranked above India at fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh, respectively.

The first, second and third ranks were not awarded to any country. In effect, therefore, India's rank is the best amongst all large economies, it said.

Published annually since 2005, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an independent monitoring tool for tracking the climate protection performance of 59 countries and the EU.

Every year, the CCPI sets off important public and political debates within the countries assessed.

The climate protection performance of these 59 countries, which together account for 92 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, is assessed in four categories -- GHG Emissions (40 per cent of overall score), Renewable Energy (20 per cent), Energy Use (20 per cent) and Climate Policy (20 per cent).

India earned a high rating in the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories, while a medium rating for Climate Policy and Renewable Energy, the statement said.

The aggressive policies of India towards rapid deployment of renewables and robust framework for energy efficiency programs have shown considerable impact. As per the CCPI report, India is on track to meet its 2030 emissions targets (compatible with a well-below-2C scenario), it added.

The ranking given by CCPI places India as the only G-20 country in the top 10 rank. India will now be assuming G-20 Presidency and it will be an opportune time to show the world its climate mitigation policies such as deployment of renewable sources of energy and other energy transition programmes, it said.

Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy R K Singh said India's CCPI ranking is testimony to the leadership shown by Prime Minister Narendra Modi towards addressing the global climate change despite pandemic and tough economic times.

The top-5 rank globally reflects that India is implementing energy transition programmes such as renewable capacity installation at much faster rate than anywhere in the world.