World Climate Conference
Germany “mediocre” in climate ranking
Despite the progress in the expansion of renewable energies, the Federal Republic received a rating of “mediocre” in all categories and is in sixth place among the EU states. photo
© picture alliance / Michael Kappeler/dpa
No country is doing enough to achieve international climate goals. However, Germany has moved up the rankings slightly. Things are now getting serious for the negotiators at the climate conference.
School grades at the World Climate Conference: In an international comparison, Germany performed “mediocre” in terms of climate protection – but improved slightly compared to the previous year. The Federal Republic took 14th place in the annual index published by the environmental organizations Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute in Dubai – two places better than the previous year.
At the same time, Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (Greens) is taking on a crucial role at the climate conference: she is supposed to lead the negotiations for the EU about whether the global community can agree on more ambition in climate protection.
The authors of the index positively highlighted Germany’s progress in expanding renewable energies. Nevertheless, Germany received a rating of “mediocre” in all categories. “The reasons for the rather mediocre assessment of Germany’s national climate policy lie primarily in a transport policy that is too weak in terms of climate policy, the weakening of the Climate Protection Act and a building energy law that was ultimately watered down,” said Jan Burck, one of the study authors. “These are all results of the often conflicting climate policy ambitions within the traffic light coalition.” The index evaluates the efforts of 63 countries and the EU, which cover more than 90 percent of all climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions.
Places 1 to 3 remain empty
As in previous years, the first three places remain empty – because, according to the authors, no country is doing enough to protect the climate to achieve the Paris climate goals. This refers to the goal agreed in Paris in 2015 to limit global warming to, if possible, 1.5 degrees compared to pre-industrial times.
Overall, not a single country received a “good” rating for its climate policy. “Governments are implementing fewer climate policy measures and have to solve many crises at the same time,” says co-author Niklas Höhne from the NewClimate Institute. “Even countries with better climate policies, such as Denmark, appear to be further away from achieving the Paris climate goals than in previous years.”
Denmark is considered a pioneer
As in previous years, Denmark leads the ranking – Estonia and the Philippines also occupy top places. One of the newcomers is Brazil, which catapulted itself from 38th to 23rd place year-on-year after President Lula da Silva took office. This is mainly because the new government has begun to curb deforestation of the rainforest.
Big polluters China and the US continue to perform poorly in most categories. However, China is in the top group when it comes to renewable energies. The USA is praised for the so-called Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by US President Joe Biden, which also boosted the expansion of renewables and energy efficiency.
In addition to boosting renewables and energy efficiency in Dubai, the federal government is primarily committed to phasing out coal, oil and gas. Baerbock emphasized: “I am saying very clearly here: the exit from fossil energies and not the exit from fossil emissions.” This is “a huge difference”. It is already clear that in the end there will be “the fiercest wrangling” over this point.
Baerbock doesn’t want to allow any back doors
Behind the issue is the possible future role of technologies such as carbon dioxide storage or capture. A formulation such as “phasing out “fossil emissions” includes the use of such technologies. Critics fear that this could ultimately provide a pretext for the continued use of climate-damaging fossil fuels, the negative effects of which can only be partially offset. The host – the The United Arab Emirates – as an oil state, like other countries, had already advocated for such technologies before the start.
The United Nations climate chief, Simon Stiell, warned: “COP28 must be about solutions that get all countries out of the climate mess.” Compromises must be made, but these should not come at the expense of ambitious results. “I don’t want any distractions and political games this week that take climate protection hostage.”