Estonia underperforming in global climate change index ({{commentsTotal}})

Estonia has dropped several places to 48th in the global Climate Change Performance Index 2016 (CCPI), receiving a very poor rating for its efforts to tackle climate change.

The index, compiled by Climat Action Network Europe and published on Tuesday, evaluates 58 countries, which together are responsible for more than 90 percent of of global energy-related CO2 emission, based on their climate policies.

For the fifth time, the index has been topped by Denmark, followed by the UK, Sweden, Belgium and France. Estonia is 48th, four places down from 2015.*

Estonia is the only European country in the group of very poor performers. Australia, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia rank the worst.

The index evaluated countries in the following categories: emissions level, development of emissions, renewable energies, climate policy, and efficiency. None of the 58 countries received a “very good” rating for any of the five categories.

Estonia is doing particulary bad in the first and last categories, having dropped eight places in the rankings by emissions level, and retaining its bottom 5 position for efficiency. It is, however, performing much better in terms of renewable energies.

According to the index, altough Estonia is home to only 0.02 percent of the world's population, it accounts for 0.06 percent of global CO2 emissions.

*None of the countries achieved positions one to three in the index, for “no country is doing enough to prevent dangerous climate change.” So, technically Denmark ranks 4th and Estonia 51st.

Editor: M. Oll

Siim Kallas.



