Weltklimakonferenz: Deutschland rutscht im Klimaschutz-Ranking ins Mittelmaß ab

Deutschland's climate change efforts have slipped further in the global ranking, landing at a mediocre 25th place this year. For the third consecutive year, the index has dropped, now three spots lower than last year. The index evaluates 64 countries and the EU, accounting for over 90% of climate-related greenhouse gas emissions.

Created annually by Germanwatch and NewClimate Institute, this year's assessment took place ahead of the World Climate Summit in Antalya, Turkey. The index considers several categories: greenhouse gas emissions contributing to 40%, renewable energy, energy consumption, and climate policy, each accounting for 20%.

Germany's performance is mediocre in emissions and renewable energy, receiving only average rankings. The country's climate policy, evaluated at national level, is described as "weak" by experts. This marks a nine-place drop, placing Germany at an historically poor rank of 36. Jan Burck, the main author, stated that half of the EU states have better scores, primarily due to the economic policy of Katherina Reiche, who favors natural gas.

Only in the energy consumption category does Germany rank comparatively high, at number 9. Denmark continues to lead the climate change index, excelling in renewable energy expansion. The top three spots remain empty as the authors consider no country doing enough to combat climate change in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The least-performing EU countries are now Slovakia, Croatia, and Poland, ranking 50th to 48th. Positively, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Morocco are praised as "good," demonstrating reliable policy frameworks for climate change, not only in terms of goals but also in their implementation. Another EU country, Hungary, has made the greatest improvement this year, climbing 21 places due to the removal of many harmful laws by the new government.

However, it still lags behind Germany in the overall ranking. Among the G20 nations, most are described as "concerningly weak," with only the United Kingdom receiving a "good" rating (rank 7). Ten countries, including Turkey, the current host of the climate conference and Australia, have landed in the "very weak" category. China remains the largest contributor to climate-related greenhouse gas emissions, with high per capita emissions and energy consumption being its main weaknesses.

However, China is still at the bottom of the ranking. In a separate category, China has the highest trend in renewable energy. Overall, Burck concluded that the global movement towards renewable energy, storage technologies, and electric vehicles presents significant opportunities for substantial climate change mitigation. Despite political and technological setbacks in most countries, there is considerable dynamism in the technical and economic aspects of climate action.