Climate ranking shows progress, but the US and other Petrostates are resisting change
Each year, the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), co-published by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and CAN International, assesses the progress made by the largest emitters. This year the CCPI 2026 paints the same ambivalent picture already seen in previous editions. Ten years after the Paris Agreement, global per capita emissions are falling, renewable energies are growing massively, and more than one hundred countries now have their own climate targets for net-zero emissions. However, the pace is still too slow to meet the Paris climate targets.
As in previous years, the top three ranks remain vacant. Countries must accelerate climate action to align with the Paris Agreement’s temperature limit. Denmark (4th) remains the top-ranked country. It ranks highly in climate policy and is among the only three countries that achieve a very high rating in renewable energies, supported by its leadership in offshore energy. The United Kingdom (5th) follows, climbing one place compared to last year and showing that years of climate policy efforts are paying off. Morocco (6th) scores well across most categories, maintains very low per capita emissions, invests significantly in public transport and has adopted a respectable new climate target for 2035.
At the bottom of the ranking are Saudi Arabia (67th), Iran (66th) and the United States (65th). The largest oil- and gas-producing countries show no sign of departing from fossil fuels as a business model and continue to miss the opportunity to embrace the future.
G20 countries: Only one good, ten very weak
There is positive momentum for renewable energies and electrification worldwide. However, the picture among the major emitters is worrying. The G20 countries are responsible for more than 75 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions and have a special responsibility, yet only one G20 country, the United Kingdom, receives a high rating. Ten G20 countries continue to be classified as very low performers, including Turkey, China, Australia, Japan, Argentina, Canada, Korea, Russia, the USA and Saudi Arabia. Three more G20 countries are rated low: South Africa, Indonesia and Italy.
