Climate Change Performance Index 2025: Where Does India Stand?

Climate change is no longer a future concern, it’s a present global emergency. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2025 underscores this reality with sobering clarity. Designed to monitor the climate protection performance of 64 countries and the EU, responsible for over 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, the CCPI aims to shine a spotlight on both progress and failure in international climate mitigation efforts.

Despite decades of negotiations, emissions continue to rise, global temperatures edge dangerously close to tipping points, and only a fraction of countries are taking adequate action.

Understanding the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)

The CCPI evaluates countries on four key indicators:

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions (GHG)
2. Renewable Energy
3. Energy Use
4. Climate Policy

Each country is scored based on performance across these categories and assigned an overall ranking. Notably, the top three positions in the 2025 CCPI remain vacant, as no country was deemed to be performing at a “very high” level across all categories — a stark indicator of the global gap between climate pledges and practical action.

India’s Global Climate Standing: 10th in CCPI 2025

India ranks 10th in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025, slipping two positions from its 2024 ranking, yet still remaining within the top 10 performing countries globally.

India’s Category-wise Performance:

• High in GHG emissions (low per capita emissions)
• High in energy use (in terms of efficiency and trends)
• Medium in climate policy (due to delays and limited enforcement)
• Low in renewable energy (despite large-scale efforts)

India’s ranking is shaped by a complex energy mix: while it has made remarkable strides in solar energy development, especially through initiatives like the Rooftop Solar Scheme, its continued dependency on coal for electricity generation undermines its full potential.

Top 10 Countries in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025

While the top three ranks remain unassigned, the following countries emerged as the leading performers in climate action:

Denmark: Leading the Charge

Denmark tops the index at rank #4, due to:

• A very high rating in renewable energy
• High scores in both GHG emissions and climate policy
• A medium rating in energy use

Denmark’s climate action is widely viewed as a model for combining green innovation with government commitment.

Bottom 10 Countries in the Climate Change Performance Index 2025

In stark contrast, these countries received the lowest scores, indicating very poor climate action and high emissions trajectories:

Most of these nations suffer from:

• High fossil fuel dependency
• Slow transition to renewables
• Weak domestic climate policies
• Rising per capita emissions

The G20 nations, responsible for over 75% of global GHG emissions, show an alarming trend: 14 of them received a low or very low score, highlighting a major hurdle in achieving global climate goals.

India vs. G20 Peers

India and the United Kingdom are among the few G20 countries that show positive movement, largely due to:

• Low per capita GHG emissions
• Strong renewable commitments
• International climate cooperation (e.g., International Solar Alliance)

By contrast, China, USA, Canada, and UAE rank near the bottom, primarily because of:

• High energy consumption
• Weak or regressive climate policies
• Continued investment in coal and oil

India’s Climate Future: Cautious Optimism

While India’s climate action is receiving global recognition, significant challenges remain:

• Coal remains dominant in India’s energy mix
• Policy implementation lags behind policy announcement
• Urban emissions and air quality remain problematic

Still, India’s continued expansion of renewable capacity, promotion of electric mobility, and international climate diplomacy signal that it is well-positioned to play a leading role in the global climate response — if momentum continues.