ECO has exciting news for you. We know everyone has been waiting impatiently for the results of this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), an instrument to enable transparency in national and international climate policy, and it‘s finally here! In its 19th edition, the CCPI assesses the climate mitigation performance of 63 countries and the EU, covering more than 90% of global GHG emissions. More than 450 climate experts have assessed these countries’ climate policies. ECO is shocked to report that after all this time none of the countries are doing enough to prevent dangerous climate change! The ‘top three’ ranks continue to remain empty this year.
It is no coincidence that the majority of low performing countries are heavily reliant on fossil fuels, both for production and use. Saudi Arabia (67th and last place) – we are particularly looking at you! And Canada (62nd), Japan (58th), the US (57th), and Australia (50th) — don’t think we are forgetting you. Here is an exclusive ECO tip: if you want to move up the ranking, it’s time to phase out fossil fuels! Fossil fuels are bad for the climate and your CCPI ranking.
A crucial and concrete step at this COP28 would be for the GST decision to call for a fast, full, fair, and funded phase out of all fossil fuels. ECO wants to see a decline of at least 40% to 45% of consumption and production of all fossil fuels by 2030 in line with pathways below 1.5°C, with developed countries taking the lead and providing finance. We all know that the GST will influence the new round of NDCs, and by the way, the quality of the NDCs is crucial for the assessment in the upcoming CCPIs. What a great opportunity to be rewarded with a better ranking!
It’s as simple as this: if you do more, you’ll rank higher. Congratulations to Denmark (4th place), Estonia (5th), the Philippines (6th), and India (7th). But don’t rest on your laurels – the first three places are still free for a reason!