Press Releases

In a time of heavily increasing greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel investments, the light at the end of the tunnel cannot yet be seen. The eighth annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which was published at the Doha climate talks today by Germanwatch and the Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, ranks the climate protection performance of the 58 highest emitters worldwide. For the first time, the index used deforestation data, which resulted in a rankings drop of countries with high forest emissions such as Brazil and Indonesia. Once again, no country made it into the first three spots on the list due to a lack of ambition to reach the goal of keeping global warming below 2 degree Celsius.

Most damages resulting from weather extremes are often not recognised by international media, unlike Sandy's destruction at the U.S. east coast a few weeks ago. But in 2011, poorer developing countries have been hit much harder in average, according to the new edition of the Germanwatch Global Climate Risk Index. The ranking, which was presented today at the UN climate summit in Doha, concludes that Thailand, Cambodia, Pakistan and El Salvador are on top of those countries that suffered most from extreme weather events in 2011.

140 civil society actors from 22 industrial and emerging states call for a fundamental reform of energy and agricultural policies in order to fight hunger and climate change worldwide. This is a result of the "Dialogue on Transformation" which took place in Bonn last weekend. The participating organisations on the one side urge to the right to development and on the other side also to a form of development that accepts the boundaries of the planet.

The new edition of the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) was released by Germanwatch and CAN-Europe in Durban at the UN climate talks today. Again, none of the 58 highest-emitting countries has done enough to prevent dangerous climate change, leaving ranks one to three open. The next ranks went to three European countries, Sweden, UK and Germany. The countries ranked worst this year are Saudi Arabia, Iran and Kazakhstan. Overall, the ranking was influenced by the worldwide economic crisis. This resulted in higher growth of emissions in emerging economies compared to industrial countries.

While the UN climate summit at Durban has started under the impression of severe local thunderstorms, the climate and development organization Germanwatch publishes its Global Climate Risk Index (CRI) for the seventh time. The index focuses on countries especially affected by weather extremes such as floodings and storms in 2010 and during the past twenty years. The Global Climate Risk Index is based on data collected in the worldwide renowned database at MunichRe.

The climate summit in Cancún agreed on important climate protection packages after a dramatic night session, partly thanks to the sovereign leadership of the Mexican Foreign Minister Patricia Espinosa. Agreed packages include the protection of rain forests, adaptation to climate change for the most vulnerable countries, technology transfer and a Green Fund for financing the above mentioned measures. For the first time in UN history it was officially accepted by all countries to limit the global temperature rise below two degrees Celsius.

Today, Germanwatch and CAN Europe released the sixth annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), a joint research project, at the climate summit in Cancún. The CCPI 2011 evaluates and ranks the 57 highest-emitting countries based on their emissions and climate policies. This year, more than 190 experts from the respective countries have assisted in creation of the index by analysing national policies.

With the today published Climate Risk Index 2011 in Cancun, Germanwatch has, for the sixth time, examined which countries are particularly affected by weather extremes. "In 2009, surprisingly, countries such as Chinese Taipei, Saudi Arabia and Australia were also among the ten most affected countries," said Sven Harmeling, author of the CRI at Germanwatch.

The fifth Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) [1] – a worldwide national ranking of climate performance - was published today by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Europe's leading network for climate and energy issues. The annual report ranks countries based on which ones show the strongest climate protection performance relative to one another, comparing 57 industrialised countries and emerging economies [2]. This year’s index showed Brazil to be the biggest mover, knocking the usually strongest player Sweden farther down the scale.

Sweden again ranks in first position in the current Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI 2008). However, even those at the top of the class - Sweden achieved two thirds of the total score - only achieve average grades. The index is published annually by Germanwatch and CAN-Europe and compares the climate protection performances of 56 industrialised countries and emerging economies which together account for more than 90 per cent of global energy-related CO2 emissions.