No country is doing enough to achieve international climate goals. However, Germany has moved up the rankings slightly.
Compared internationally, Germany has made slight improvements in climate protection. The country ranked 14th in the annual index, which was presented on Friday by the environmental organizations Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute at the World Climate Conference in Dubai – two places better than the previous year. The progress in the expansion of renewable energies was highlighted positively. Nevertheless, the Federal Republic received a rating of “mediocre” in all categories and ranks sixth among the EU states.
“The reasons for the rather mediocre assessment of Germany’s national climate policy lie primarily in a transport policy that is too weak in terms of climate policy, the weakening of the Climate Protection Act and a building energy law that was ultimately watered down,” said Jan Burck, one of the authors. “These are all results of the often conflicting climate policy ambitions within the traffic light coalition.” The index evaluates the efforts of 63 countries and the EU, which cover more than 90 percent of all climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions.
No top rankings
As in previous years, the first three places remain empty – because, according to the authors, no country is doing enough to protect the climate to achieve the Paris climate goals. This refers to the goal agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to, if possible, 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.
Overall, no country received a “good” rating for its climate policy. “Governments are implementing fewer climate policy measures and have to solve many crises at the same time,” says co-author Niklas Höhne from the NewClimate Institute.
Denmark is considered a role model
As in previous years, Denmark leads the ranking. Estonia and the Philippines also occupy top positions. After President Lula da Silva took office, Brazil catapulted from 38th to 23rd place year-on-year. This is mainly because the new government has begun to curb deforestation of the rainforest.
Light and shadow in China and the USA
Big polluters China and the US continue to perform poorly in most categories. However, China is a leader in renewable energy, ranking ninth in the category as it exceeds its own targets for wind and solar. The USA is being praised for US President Joe Biden’s so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which also boosted the expansion of renewables and energy efficiency.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
