Climate Change Performance Index 2008: Best In Class Achieve Only Average scores

Germanwatch and CAN-Europe published the data from their latest climate change performance index to coincide with the climate change conference in Bali. This index compares the climate protection performance of 56 industrialized countries and emerging economies, which together are responsible for more than 90 per cent of global CO2 emissions.

According to the authors, analysis of individual indicators (emission levels, emission trends and climate policies) shows clearly that the international community is a long way from meeting its climate protection responsibilities. ?Scarcely any countries are taking the steps necessary to keep the rise in global temperature below two degrees Celsius and to avoid global climate destabilisation,? states Matthias Duwe, Director of Climate Action Network Europe.

As in the previous year, Sweden achieved the best result, scoring two-thirds of the maximum possible points. Jan Burck, who is in charge of the climate change performance index at the development and environmental organisation Germanwatch, puts this into perspective: ?Sweden has profited from its relatively low emissions levels, but turned in only an average performance, particularly in the areas of policies and trends.? In the current index, Germany has moved up two places and is now ranked second, immediately behind Sweden. The main reasons for this were Germany?s efforts to further international climate protection at the EU?s Spring Council and at the G8 Summit. Other EU countries, such as the United Kingdom and Hungary, retain their leading roles in the top ten of the ranking. A particularly noticeable feature, however, is that the performances of Mexico, India and Brazil mean that major emerging economies now find themselves among the leaders. Austria was ranked 37th. The US and Saudi Arabia took the two bottom spots.

Index at: www.germanwatch.org/klima/ccpi.htm

Contact: Dr. Gerold Kier, Germanwatch e.V., Tel.: +49(0)228 60492-12,

e-mail: kier@germanwatch.org

By: Germanwatch

---