Climate

The Climate Change Performance Index is an instrument supposed to enhance transparency in international climate politics. On the basis of standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 58 countries that are, together, responsible for more than 90 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions.

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 Change Performance Index is an innovative instrument that enhances transparency in international climate politics. On the basis of standardised criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 57 countries that are together responsible for more than 90 percent of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Eighty percent of the evaluation is based on objective indicators of emissions trend and emissions level. Twenty percent results from national and international climate policy assessments by 190 experts from the respective countries. The aim of the index is to encourage political and social pressure on those countries which have, heretofore, failed to take the initiative on climate protection or which still neglect the importance of this issue.

This Briefing Paper identifies opportunities in the local, national, regional, and international level that can assist the tourist island cities in southeast asia in persuing low-carbon development.

Different institutions play a crucial role in order to promote adaptation to climate change in developing countries. As a contribution to the current political debate, in particular in the UNFCCC negotiations, this paper analyses key institutional approaches on the different levels and makes a number of concrete suggestions with a view to optimising the interplay between institutions on the different level.

Although international climate negotiations have made little progress since the largely failed talks of Copenhagen in 2009, especially developing countries have started the race towards low-carbon development. Low-Carbon Development Plans (LCDPs) have been developed that describe goals and measures of the respective nation's climate change efforts and lay a foundation for overall development planning.

One can perhaps say that, with Cancún, the major emerging economies have, to some extent, assumed the lead in the global negotiation process. After Mexico, namely South Africa (next Climate summit in 2011) and Brazil (Rio-plus-20 summit 2012) carry the central responsibility as the hosts of the next major summits.

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.