Climate Change Performance Index 2023

The Climate Change Performance Index 2023 executive summary evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of the 60 largest emitters. It highlights that no country is currently on a 1.5°C pathway, leaving the top three ranks unoccupied. While Denmark leads in most categories, major emitters like China and the US are ranked in the 'very low' category. The report notes a wide disparity in performance among EU member states and identifies Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan as the worst overall performers.

• No country among the 60 largest emitters is currently on a 1.5°C pathway, resulting in the first three ranks of the index remaining unoccupied.
• Denmark is the current frontrunner, leading in nearly all individual categories and being the only country with a 'high' national and 'very high' international climate policy rating. However, it is not yet on track to achieve its target of a 50% emission reduction by 2025 relative to 1990 levels.
• Major emitters China and the United States are both in the 'very low' category. China's rank dropped by 13 places to 51st, while the US is ranked 52nd.
• India is ranked 8th, benefiting from low energy use and per capita emissions, as well as a growing share of renewable energy. India has announced a net-zero target for 2070 and updated its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), though it lacks a carbon pricing mechanism and concrete action plans.
• The worst overall performers are Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Kazakhstan, characterized by heavy oil reliance and weak renewable energy sectors. Saudi Arabia has the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions of any G20 nation.
• Russia has the weakest climate policy performance with a score of 0.0. Other countries with very poor policy performance include Turkey, Hungary, and Brazil.
• The European Union's overall rank rose three places to 19th, driven by improvements in the 'fit-for-55' package and climate policy. However, individual member state performance varies widely: nine are in the 'high' category (including Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands), while others like Poland (54th) and Hungary (53rd) are in the 'very low' category.

APA

NewClimate Institute (2022). Climate Change Performance Index 2023. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2023

Chicago

NewClimate Institute. Climate Change Performance Index 2023. 2022. http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=NewClimate Institute |title=Climate Change Performance Index 2023 |date=14 November 2022 |url=http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2023 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{newclimateinstitute2022climate, author = {{NewClimate Institute}}, title = {{Climate Change Performance Index 2023}}, institution = {NewClimate Institute}, year = {2022}, month = nov, url = {http://www.newclimate.org/resources/publications/climate-change-performance-index-2023}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }