New Delhi: India has dropped five places to 28th position in the Climate Change Performance Index 2027, scoring 60.85 points and retaining a medium overall rating. The independent assessment, released by Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of 64 countries plus the European Union. These entities together account for more than 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. India’s decline reflects continued dependence on coal, rising emissions and energy use, and shortcomings in electricity transmission and storage, even as the country records strong advances in renewable energy capacity and electric mobility.
What Is the Climate Change Performance Index 2027?
The Climate Change Performance Index has been published annually since 2005. It serves as a monitoring tool that compares national progress on emission reductions, renewable energy expansion, energy efficiency and climate policy. Roughly 500 climate and energy experts contribute to the policy evaluation component. The index employs 14 indicators grouped into four weighted categories: greenhouse gas emissions at 40 percent, renewable energy at 20 percent, energy use at 20 percent, and climate policy at 20 percent. Its core purpose is to highlight which countries are advancing toward the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and which are lagging, while fostering transparency and stronger national commitments.
Top Rankings and Global Highlights in CCPI 2027
No country achieved a very high overall rating in the 2027 edition. The top three ranks remain vacant because even the strongest performers fall short of the full set of criteria needed for that designation. Denmark holds the highest actual ranking at fourth place with 84.05 points, marking its sixth consecutive year at the top. Its performance is driven by sustained emission reductions and renewable energy progress. Lithuania follows in fifth, Luxembourg in sixth, the United Kingdom in seventh, Morocco in eighth and Chile in ninth, all receiving high ratings. Among G20 members, the United Kingdom stands alone with a high rating; ten other G20 countries receive very low ratings.
The European Union ranks 19th with a medium rating, up one place from the previous year. France places 20th and Germany 25th, both also in the medium category. China ranks 56th with a very low rating, held back by high fossil-fuel emissions despite rapid growth in renewable energy and electrification. The lowest positions are occupied by Iran at 68th, the United States at 67th, Russia at 66th, Saudi Arabia at 65th and the United Arab Emirates at 64th, all penalized primarily for heavy fossil-fuel dependence. Argentina records one of the steepest declines, landing at 60th after climate-policy rollbacks, weakened environmental institutions and expanded oil and gas activity.
India’s Declining Rank: From 10th to 28th in Three Years
India’s trajectory shows a clear downward trend. It ranked 10th in the 2025 index, fell to 23rd in 2026 and now sits at 28th. The country retains a medium rating overall and across the greenhouse gas emissions, energy use and climate policy categories. Its renewable energy category receives a low rating, although the trend indicator within that category is rated high, reflecting recent rapid expansion. Specific category ranks for India are 13th in climate policy, 33rd in energy use, 40th in renewable energy and 31st in greenhouse gas emissions.
Strong Renewable Energy Growth Meets Infrastructure Bottlenecks
Renewable energy progress forms the strongest element of India’s profile. Competitive auctions and manufacturing incentives have accelerated deployment of solar, wind, rooftop solar and electric vehicles. In June 2025, non-fossil sources reached 50 percent of cumulative installed electricity capacity, meeting the previous 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution target five years ahead of schedule. This figure includes nuclear power alongside renewables and measures installed capacity rather than the actual share of electricity generated. India’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution for the 2031–2035 period targets a 47 percent reduction in the emissions intensity of gross domestic product from 2005 levels, approximately 60 percent non-fossil share of installed capacity, and a forest and tree-cover carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent relative to 2005.
Yet the report identifies a clear mismatch between renewable capacity growth and supporting infrastructure. Limited transmission capacity, inadequate energy storage and insufficient grid flexibility constrain the system’s ability to absorb variable renewable generation. Ember data cited in the assessment indicate that roughly 2.3 terawatt-hours of solar generation were curtailed between late May and December 2025 to maintain grid security. Experts stress that coordinated investment in grids, storage, demand-side flexibility and more flexible operation of conventional plants is required to convert capacity additions into higher renewable generation shares and meaningful displacement of fossil fuels.
Coal Dependence, Rising Emissions and Policy Gaps
Coal remains a dominant source of electricity. Despite India’s stated net-zero target for 2070, the assessment notes the absence of a comprehensive, time-bound roadmap for reducing reliance on coal, oil and gas. Rising per-capita emissions and energy consumption add further pressure, underscoring the need for deeper energy-efficiency gains and broader clean-energy penetration across industry, buildings and transport. On the policy side, the Carbon Credit Trading Scheme has assigned emissions-intensity targets to 490 industrial entities since January 2026. Energy-efficiency programmes and electric-mobility initiatives receive positive recognition, although experts call for more ambitious targets, credible verification systems and demonstrated absolute emission reductions. Gaps remain in the coverage and enforcement of building codes and in appliance standards within informal markets.
Climate Justice Stance and Official Response
India continues to emphasize the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, arguing for greater climate finance and technology transfer from developed countries. Official responses to the ranking have highlighted the early achievement of the non-fossil capacity milestone, the scale of renewable expansion and the developmental necessity of coal for energy security. No formal government statement was immediately available in response to media inquiries at the time of the index release.
Why the Climate Change Performance Index Matters
The Climate Change Performance Index matters because it provides an independent, comparable measure of national climate efforts at a moment when global emissions trajectories remain incompatible with the 1.5-degree pathway. By ranking countries annually across emissions, renewables, energy use and policy, the index reveals both progress and persistent shortfalls. It draws attention to the infrastructure and institutional barriers that prevent renewable capacity from fully displacing fossil fuels. For developing economies such as India, it also surfaces questions of climate justice, financing and the balance between development needs and emission constraints.
What India Needs to Reverse the Slide
For India specifically, the 2027 results underline that rapid capacity growth alone is insufficient. Translating installed renewable power into higher generation shares, lower emissions intensity and reduced coal dependence will require sustained investment in transmission networks, storage solutions, demand flexibility and clearer phase-down pathways for fossil fuels. Strengthening enforcement of efficiency standards, expanding the coverage of carbon-pricing instruments and ensuring that updated Nationally Determined Contribution targets are backed by credible implementation plans will be essential if the country is to reverse its ranking decline in future editions of the index.
The vacant top ranks across the entire index serve as a broader reminder: even the current leaders have not yet aligned their policies and outcomes fully with the Paris Agreement’s temperature goal. As governments prepare further national contributions and negotiate implementation details under the Paris framework, the Climate Change Performance Index 2027 supplies a detailed, expert-informed snapshot of where the world’s major emitters stand—and how far they still have to travel.
FAQs
1. What is the Climate Change Performance Index 2027 and who publishes it?
The Climate Change Performance Index 2027 is an independent annual ranking that evaluates how 64 countries and the European Union are performing on climate mitigation. These entities together account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. It has been published every year since 2005 by Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute, with support from Climate Action Network International. The index uses 14 indicators across four categories — greenhouse gas emissions (40% weight), renewable energy (20%), energy use (20%), and climate policy (20%) — and draws on input from around 500 climate and energy experts.
2. Why did India drop to 28th rank in the Climate Change Performance Index 2027?
India fell five places to 28th with a score of 60.85 and a medium overall rating. While the country received a high trend rating for renewable energy expansion, this progress was offset by continued heavy reliance on coal, rising per-capita emissions and energy consumption, limited grid flexibility, inadequate storage, and the absence of a clear, time-bound roadmap to reduce fossil-fuel dependence. India retained medium ratings in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and climate policy, but scored low overall in the renewable energy category.
3. Which countries topped the Climate Change Performance Index 2027?
No country achieved a “very high” rating, so the first three ranks remain vacant. Denmark ranked highest at 4th with 84.05 points for the sixth consecutive year, followed by Lithuania (5th), Luxembourg (6th), the United Kingdom (7th), Morocco (8th), and Chile (9th). The United Kingdom is the only G20 country with a high rating. The European Union placed 19th (medium), while China ranked 56th (very low). The lowest ranks were held by Iran (68th), the United States (67th), Russia (66th), Saudi Arabia (65th), and the UAE (64th).
4. What progress has India made on renewable energy according to the index?
India achieved 50% non-fossil installed electricity capacity in June 2025, five years ahead of its previous 2030 target. Strong growth was noted in solar, wind, rooftop solar, and electric vehicles, supported by competitive auctions and domestic manufacturing incentives. The country’s updated 2031–2035 targets include a 47% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP from 2005 levels, around 60% non-fossil capacity, and a carbon sink of 3.5–4 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent. However, the index highlights that installed capacity does not fully translate into clean electricity generation due to curtailment (about 2.3 TWh of solar between late May and December 2025) and weak transmission and storage infrastructure.
5. How does the Climate Change Performance Index assess countries and why is it important?
Countries are scored on current emissions levels and trends, renewable energy share and growth, energy consumption and efficiency, and the quality of national and international climate policies. The index identifies gaps between current actions and the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C goal, promotes transparency, and encourages stronger policies. For India, it underscores that rapid renewable capacity addition alone is not enough — sustained investment in grids, storage, efficiency measures, and a clear fossil-fuel phase-down plan are essential to improve future rankings and align with long-term climate goals.
