A global report on the climate performance of close to 70 countries and country agglomerate like European Union (EU), released on the sidelines of COP30 at Belém, Brazil, has found that India has slipped to the 23rd rank in 2025 compared to 10th in 2024. The country shows one of the sharpest declines among the major economies of the world. Only Egypt showed a bigger decline from 2024 by going down 18 slots in 2025.
A senior official from the Union environment ministry of India countered the report, stating that India has done very well in its climate performance. “We achieved our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) target five years before schedule and also adopted a slew of measures that were presented in our national statement on Monday,” said the official.
An NDC is a country’s climate action plan for cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission.
The global report, Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), has been providing its annual analysis since 2005. It evaluates countries, which together generate more than 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). The report looks at parameters such as GHGs, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy.
Denmark best, Saudi Arabia worst, US shows dramatic decline
The CCPI 2026, prepared by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and CAN (Climate Action Network) International, shows that Denmark retains the top position in 2025, like last year. It is actually at the fourth position, as no countries met the requirements for the top three ranks. Denmark was followed by the UK and Morocco, who bettered their performances since last year.
While Saudi Arabia, with the 67th rank, is at the bottom of the ladder, Iran is the second worst with the 66th rank, followed by the US and Russia. China, with the 54th ranking, has come up by one position. CCPI experts identified the US’s poor performance under Donald Trump’s presidency as a “dramatic decline”.
India stumbled on coal
“India (23rd), one of the largest emitters, is one of the biggest fallers in this year’s ranking, landing in the ‘medium’ category,” reads the report.
“The decline in the ranking is due to a combination of factors. India ranks last in terms of emissions trends, as emissions have been rising steadily in recent years. At the same time, energy consumption is increasing,” explained Jan Burck of Germanwatch, an author of the report.
“India is signalling its long-term intent on climate action, with a formal strategy and ambitious renewable energy targets, alongside established efficiency programmes…(it) has accelerated renewable energy deployment through auctions and fiscal tools…India reported reaching 50 percent of installed power capacity from non-fossil sources ahead of the 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target,” admitted the report.
Urgent: Clearer Just Transition plans
However, it identifies continuing coal dependence as an obstacle. “The national pathway is still anchored in coal (and) there is no national coal exit timeline and new coal blocks continue to be auctioned. Fossil subsidies and infrastructure lock-ins persist. The country is among the 10 countries with the largest developed coal reserves, and it currently plans to increase its production,” the report says.
The list includes the ongoing mining in the Deocha-Pachami coal block in West Bengal’s Birbhum district, considered as the largest coal block in India and the second-largest in the world. The global report reiterates that India’s domestic fossil fuel activity undermines international credibility.
“India’s fall to the 23rd position in CCPI, despite impressive renewable energy growth, shows that climate leadership today requires more than capacity additions. Rising emissions and weaker policy delivery pulled down scores. India still stands ahead of several G20 peers, including China, but clearer Just Transition plans and stronger policy frameworks are now essential to regain momentum,” said Nakul Sharma, one of the experts contributing to the India section of the report.
The findings are expected to be a key input in the ongoing negotiations at Belém, now on its last leg of 72 hours.