Climate Change Performance Index 2025: Full Report, India’s Rank

Climate Change Performance Index 2025: Discover global rankings of countries leading and lagging in climate action. Learn where India stands, view the top and bottom 10 nations, and explore the index’s methodology, key insights, and future outlook.

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India secures the 10th position in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025, maintaining its place among the world’s better climate performers. However, the top three spots remain vacant, as no country met the highest benchmarks set across all climate action indicators.

Published by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and the Climate Action Network, the CCPI 2025 evaluates the climate efforts of 63 countries and the European Union, which together account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

What is the Climate Change Performance Index?

The CCPI serves as an independent monitoring tool for climate protection performance. It assesses countries based on four major categories:

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
Renewable Energy
Energy Use
Climate Policy

Each indicator is scored and combined to produce an overall performance ranking. This year’s report revealed a sobering truth: no country is on track to meet the Paris Agreement goals of limiting global warming to well below 2°C, ideally 1.5°C.

India’s Performance in CCPI 2025

India has secured the 10th position in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025, making it one of the top 10 countries in terms of climate action. Although India has dropped two positions compared to CCPI 2024, it continues to be recognized globally for its climate initiatives.

India’s Category-wise Performance:

GHG Emissions: High rating due to low per capita emissions.
Energy Use: High rating thanks to energy efficiency improvements.
Climate Policy: Medium rating due to delays in policy execution.
Renewable Energy: Low rating despite ambitious solar targets.

India’s performance is influenced by its expansion in solar power, electric mobility efforts, and leadership in the International Solar Alliance. However, its continued reliance on coal and limited enforcement of environmental policies are key drawbacks.

Top 10 Countries in Climate Change Performance Index 2025

The top three ranks are unassigned, as no nation achieved a “very high” rating across all categories. Here’s the official top 10 list:

Rank	Country	Score
—	—	—
—	—	—
—	—	—
4	Denmark	78.37
5	Netherlands	69.60
6	United Kingdom	69.29
7	Philippines	68.41
8	Morocco	68.32
9	Norway	68.21
10	India	67.99

Denmark: The Global Leader

Denmark holds the highest rank at #4 due to its:

Exceptional use of renewable energy
Strong climate policies
Efficient GHG emissions control

Bottom 10 Countries in Climate Change Performance Index 2025

Many of the lowest-ranking countries are major fossil fuel producers or have regressive climate policies.

Rank	Country	Score
58	Japan	39.23
59	Argentina	35.96
60	Chinese Taipei	34.87
61	Kazakhstan	33.43
62	Canada	28.37
63	South Korea	26.42
64	Russia	23.54
65	United Arab Emirates	19.54
66	Saudi Arabia	18.15
67	Iran	17.47

These nations often show:

High carbon footprints
Weak renewable energy policies
Little to no improvement in climate legislation

G20 Performance: Where Do Major Economies Stand?

Among G20 countries, only a few — like India and the United Kingdom — show relatively strong climate performance. Others, like the United States, China, and Canada, score poorly.

G20 Country	CCPI Rank	Performance Notes
India	10	Low per capita emissions, renewable push
United Kingdom	6	High in GHG & energy use, low in renewables
China	55	High emissions, improving renewable efforts
United States	57	High fossil fuel dependency, weak policies
Canada	62	High emissions, poor climate leadership
Saudi Arabia	66	Very high fossil fuel dependency

CCPI 2025: Key Trends & Analysis

Vacant Top Spots (Ranks 1–3)
- No country met the threshold for a “very high” overall rating across all four categories.
- Illustrates that even progressive nations lack a full spectrum of strong climate indicators.
Renewable Energy as a Bottleneck
- Most top performers still have room for improvement in renewable energy share.
- Conversely, many bottom-ranked countries show limited or negligible renewable capacity growth despite abundant solar/wind potential.
Policy Implementation Gaps
- Even when robust policies exist on paper, enforcement delays, bureaucratic hurdles, and financial constraints impede real-world results.
- Countries with conflicting economic priorities (e.g., subsidized fossil fuels) struggle to achieve mid- to high-level ratings in Climate Policy.
Emissions Per Capita vs. Total Emissions
- Low per capita emissions (e.g., India) can coexist with high absolute emissions, affecting global progress.
- High-income nations often record high per capita energy use, penalizing their rank despite advanced technologies.

Future Outlook: How Can India and the World Improve?

For India:

Accelerate Coal Phase-Out
- Mandate a strict timeline for retiring inefficient coal plants by 2030.
- Redirect subsidies from coal to renewables, storage, and grid modernization.
Strengthen Climate Policy Enforcement
- Enforce stricter emission standards for industries.
- Introduce carbon pricing mechanisms (e.g., a national carbon market or tax).
Scale Up Green Technologies
- Expand incentives for rooftop solar and small-scale wind projects in rural and peri-urban areas.
- Promote electric public transport and two-wheelers with favorable financing schemes.
Enhance International Cooperation
- Leverage leadership in the International Solar Alliance to catalyze technology transfer and financing.
- Collaborate with G20 partners to share best practices in energy efficiency and climate finance.

For the Global Community:

Fill the “Empty” Top Three Slots
- Countries must aim for “very high” ratings in all CCPI categories—accelerating the 1.5 °C pathway.
- Prioritize holistic action plans that marry renewable expansion with ambitious emission cuts.
Replace Fossil Fuel Subsidies with Green Incentives
- Reallocate global subsidies from oil, gas, and coal to clean energy research, infrastructure, and equitable energy access.
Strengthen Climate Finance
- Increase funding for developing nations’ mitigation and adaptation measures via multilateral channels (e.g., Green Climate Fund).
- Ensure measurable, transparent outcomes for financed projects.
Leverage Technology & Innovation
- Scale up carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) projects in both developed and developing contexts.
- Invest in grid-scale storage, smart grids, and demand-response systems to optimize renewable integration.

Conclusion

The Climate Change Performance Index 2025 sends a clear message: no country is yet fulfilling its full potential in battling climate change. Even the top performers (Denmark, Netherlands, UK, etc.) exhibit medium or low ratings in at least one critical category. This underscores a global gap between political pledges and tangible results.

India’s 10th-place ranking demonstrates commendable progress—especially in managing per-capita emissions and improving energy efficiency. However, India must tackle its continued coal dependency and policy enforcement challenges to strengthen its position further. By accelerating renewable energy adoption, phasing out coal, and deepening international cooperation, India can transition from a “top-10” performer to one of the world’s leading climate champions.

As pressures mount to keep global warming below 1.5 °C, the CCPI 2025 emphasizes that every nation must do more. Only through unified, decisive action—across policy enforcement, technological innovation, and emissions reduction—can the world hope to safeguard a sustainable future for generations to come.