Brazil emerges as leader

15 December 2009

In the fifth edition of the Germanwatch-CAN Europe Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), Brazil climbed to fourth place, as Sweden slid down its LULUCF projected baseline and landed in fifth. As the top three places were left vacant, Brazil earned the top rank among 57 countries surveyed for the CCPI.

At the other end of the scale, Saudi Arabia and Canada finished last and second last respectively at 58 and 59. Saudi Arabia’s negative rating was for blocking a fair, ambitious and binding treaty to protect the most vulnerable developing countries. Canada earned second last place for its weak domestic climate policy, huge per capita emissions and lack of any kind of constructive engagement in the UN climate talks.

The USA also fared poorly – it was ranked 53 – as President Obama and the Congress have yet to make good on the mandate of renewal (and renewables) which swept him to office.

The Germanwatch CCPI is an independent report, ranking the 57 largest emitters on their efforts to protect the climate. This year, like last year, witnessed blank spaces for the first three ranks. This was because no country was on a path to keep warming as far below 2°C as possible. For details, visit germanwatch.org