Hope for local weather however too little progress on renewables

As nations negotiate a deal on transitioning away from fossil fuels and quickly reducing emissions at important UN local weather talks in Dubai, a brand new evaluation paints a blended image on the subject of renewable power options.

Nearly all main economies have wind, photo voltaic or hydropower of their power mixes and renewables are booming, the annual Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI)discovered. Still their growth is just too sluggish to switch oil, coal and fuel and avert the worsening impacts of local weather change.

Some 450 consultants evaluated 63 of the world’s greatest economies answerable for 90% of emissions, together with China, the EU and the US, and located none are doing sufficient to cease the carbon emissions brought on by burning fossil fuels.

“We are now entering a crucial phase. Global emissions must be nearly halved by 2030 to avoid an escalation of the climate disaster,” stated report co-author Niklas Höhne from German assume tank the New Climate Institute.

“The decisive contribution” has to come back from the 63 nations evaluated within the index, added Höhne. 

The authors hope selections made at the UN local weather convention will imply a renewed drive to quickly lower emissions and implement extra formidable local weather insurance policies, which they are saying have stagnated prior to now yr.

“A binding decision to triple renewable energy capacity, double energy efficiency and drastically reduce the use of coal, oil and gas until 2030 could pave the way for a path aligned with the Paris climate targets,” stated CCPI creator Jan Burck from Bonn-based setting NGO Germanwatch.

Denmark, Estonia, Philippines — fast growth of renewables

The report evaluated states’ greenhouse fuel emissions, power consumption, the share of renewables within the power combine, and power insurance policies. Like final yr, no nation ranked within the prime three as a result of none are aligned with the 1.5 levels Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) warming restrict agreed in Paris in 2015.

Denmark once more led the pack, rating fourth due to constant progress in renewable power for electrical energy and heating and ensuing low CO2 emissions. But the report warned that local weather motion has stalled since elections a yr in the past.

“This threatens the national emission reduction targets for 2025 and 2030,” stated Höhne.

Estonia is now positioned fifth within the index having adopted a goal of 100% renewables by 2030. It has already surpassed its earlier 40% purpose. The Philippines climbed to sixth place, due to its low GHG emissions and power use.

The evaluation additionally famous a number of potential for increasing wind and solar energy in Croatia, Malaysia, the Netherlands, China, Turkey, Vietnam, Bulgaria, and Indonesia.

However, many of those nations nonetheless burn giant quantities of coal, oil, and fuel, and obtained solely a “medium” or “high” general score within the renewable power class, lacking out on a “very high” score.

‘High’ general rankings for India and the EU

India, Morocco, Chile and the EU all obtained an general “high rating.”

India, for example, got here in seventh primarily due to its low per particular person emissions and power use. Still, the nation stays depending on coal regardless of some inexperienced power growth.

“India’s renewable targets for 2030 remain too low,” stated Höhne.

Germany climbed two locations to 14 within the general standings.

While the nation improved significantly on the subject of 2030 inexperienced power targets, the authors stated divisions within the nation’s coalition authorities had led to a watering down of local weather and heating laws. Germanwatch’s Jan Burck additionally criticized Germany’s weak transport coverage, as an space the place “very little is happening.”

Brazil sees huge enhancements, UK continues to slide down the desk

Brazil is without doubt one of the greatest climbers this yr, transferring up 15 spots to twenty third place. The nation had slipped down the rankings beforehand after years of inaction throughout climate-skeptic Jair Bolsonaro’s time period. But new president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pursuing a “more progressive climate policy,” promising to curb Amazon deforestation.

Still, nation consultants say Brazil is increasing fossil fuels and will miss local weather targets, with Burck including Brazil must speed up a fossil gas phaseout as a member of the G20, which accounts for 80% of world GHG emissions.

Once one of many top-ranked nations within the CCPI, the UK has slipped additional down the desk, with the federal government approving a brand new coal mine and granting “hundreds of new oil and gas licenses in the North Sea,” stated report creator Thea Uhlich of Germanwatch. Italy additionally dropped 15 locations, whereas Poland is the worst performing EU nation.

The USA and China carry out poorly general and within the power consumption and emissions classes. But China is in the highest group on the subject of renewables.

The index authors additionally highlighted new investments in renewables and power effectivity by means of the US Inflation Reduction Act as a optimistic. They stated, nevertheless {that a} potential reelection of Donald Trump subsequent yr “raises fears” contemplating his administration’s “disastrous climate policy record.”

Oil states backside of the pile

Host of this yr’s COP28 local weather convention, the United Arab Emirates (UAE)got here in third from the underside. The petrostate has excessive per-capita emissions and a lower than 1% share of renewables in its power provide, which have been among the many causes for its low rating.

Overall, fossil fuel-producing nations carried out poorly, with fellow Gulf State Saudi Arabia inserting final. Iran, Russia, Canada and the USA languish on the backside of the index, as do Japan, Australia South Korea.

“The CCPI shows once again that the biggest fossil fuel producers and exporters fair the worst,” stated Janet Milongo, of NGO Climate Action Network International, which can also be behind the index. “All states should be focusing all their efforts and finance towards scaling up to 100% renewable energy systems in a just, equitable and rapid manner.”

Edited by: Anke Rasper