The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2021 has placed India at the 10th position, marking the second consecutive time that the country has found a spot in the top 10. In the previous year, the country stood at the 9th position. The CCPI is an annually published report which was initiated by Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute, and the Climate Action Network in 2005.
Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI): An Overview
The CCPI serves as an independent monitoring tool used to follow the climate protection performance of 57 nations and the European Union. These entities account for over 90% of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. The main objective of this index is to promote transparency in global climate politics while facilitating the comparison of efforts and progress made by different countries towards climate protection.
Considering four main categories – Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, and Climate Policy – the CCPI ranks countries based on 14 different indicators. Each category carries a certain weightage in the final score, with Greenhouse Gas Emissions accounting for 40%, and the other three each accounting for 20%.
CCPI 2021: Notable Highlights
In a rather notable outcome, the top three ranks remained unoccupied as none of the countries managed to meet the criteria necessary for such high ranks. The United Kingdom and India were the only two G20 nations that ranked high in the CCPI 2021 list. On the contrary, six G20 nations – USA, Canada, South Korea, Russia, Australia, and Saudi Arabia – were positioned at the bottom of the index. This marked the second time in a row that the USA, being the largest historical polluter, secured the last rank. China, currently the largest emitter of greenhouse gases, was positioned at the 33rd rank.
Performance of India in CCPI 2021
In terms of overall performance, India secured the 10th rank with a score of 63.98 points out of 100. With regards to Renewable Energy, the country managed to secure the 27th position, one rank down from the previous year. In an effort to combat climate change, India has committed to enhance the renewable energy target to 450 GW by 2030, up from 175 GW by 2022.
The country was ranked 12th in terms of Emissions, mainly owing to the comparatively low per capita emissions. To limit the emissions from automobiles, the country implemented BS-VI Emission Norms. The Climate Policy of India was termed medium, ranking it at the 13th position. The country’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC), launched in 2008, aims at raising awareness about climate change and the necessary steps to counter it.
India secured a high rank (10th) under the category of Energy Use. The country not only has a comprehensive energy efficiency policy – National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE), but also successfully managed demand-side programmes for consumers and municipal corporations. This allowed for achieving overall energy savings while gradually lowering the impact of climate change.
Suggestions for India: A Way Forward
According to the CCPI 2021 report, India’s strategy to mitigate climate change must encompass post-Covid-19 recovery plans. This includes reducing fossil fuel subsidies, phasing out coal, improving coordination between central and state governments, and promoting domestic manufacturing in the renewable sector for better self-sufficiency.
