Transparency in climate policy: What the Climate Protection Index shows – 9 years of the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement

🌍🌿 The “Paris Agreement”, adopted on December 12, 2015 at the World Climate Conference in Paris, represents a significant milestone in the global fight against climate change. It is in line with the recently adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development⁠ and obliges a total of 195 countries to actively curb climate change and gradually transform the international economy in a climate-friendly manner.

The Paris Climate Agreement has been ratified by 194 states and the European Union, representing a total of 195 parties. This includes almost all members of the United Nations as well as the EU as an independent party. Three countries (Iran, Libya and Yemen) have signed the agreement but have not yet ratified it.

Three central objectives of the agreement are set out in Article 2:

• Global warming should be significantly limited and ideally reduced to 1.5 degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels, but in any case remain below two degrees Celsius.
• Greenhouse gas emissions should be reduced and society should be adapted to the consequences of climate change.
• Financial flows should be managed consistently in accordance with the agreed climate protection goals.

The aim is to initiate a transformation towards a sustainable, resource-saving global economy in order to contain the progression of climate change as far as possible and to secure the livelihoods of future generations.

For this purpose, the Climate Protection Index (KSI) is an important instrument that helps to make international climate policy more transparent and comprehensible. Developed by the German environmental and development organization Germanwatch eV, the KSI serves as a benchmark for assessing the climate protection performance of countries worldwide. 63 countries and the European Union are examined, which are collectively responsible for over 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Since its first publication in 2005, the index has been updated annually and presented at UN climate conferences.

The KSI is created in collaboration with the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network International, supported by financial support from the Barthel Foundation. Using uniform criteria, the index offers a comparable assessment that makes it possible to show progress and deficits in climate protection.

Suitable for:

• What the climate protection index shows for 2025 – with graphics

🌐📊 The structure of the climate protection index

The KSI is based on four main categories, each of which is weighted differently:

1. Greenhouse gas emissions (40%)

This assesses how effectively a country has reduced its emissions and whether it is on a path that is compatible with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement.

2. Renewable energies (20%)

This category examines the share of renewable energy in a country's energy mix and its progress in expanding sustainable energy sources.

3. Energy consumption (20%)

The focus here is on energy efficiency and the absolute energy consumption per capita.

4. Climate policy (20%)

This category analyzes what actions governments are taking at national and international levels to combat climate change.

The results of these categories are combined to create an overall score that ranks countries. We deliberately refrained from awarding the top three places in order to emphasize that no country is currently acting with sufficient ambition to fully overcome the climate crisis.

🏆💡 The front runners in the KSI 2024

In the current Climate Protection Index 2024, Scandinavian countries such as Denmark and Sweden in particular show strong performance in the fight against climate change. These countries are characterized by ambitious national climate goals, a high proportion of renewable energies and the consistent implementation of climate policies. Morocco has also been one of the pioneers in the KSI for years - a remarkable example of how countries in the global south can also take on a leading role through targeted investments in solar and wind energy.

Germany is in the middle of the rankings. Although the country has made progress in the energy transition and is focusing on the expansion of renewable energies, challenges such as high emissions in the transport sector and delays in phasing out coal remain.

🚨❌ Countries with catching up to do

Large emitters such as China, Russia or Saudi Arabia as well as some emerging countries are often at the bottom of the ranking. These countries have either not taken sufficient measures to reduce their emissions or continue to rely heavily on fossil fuels such as coal and oil. A particularly critical assessment is made when national climate targets do not correspond to the requirements of the Paris Agreement or when there is a lack of a clear strategy for decarbonization.

💡📣 Why is the KSI important?

The climate protection index fulfills several key functions:

Awareness raising

By making progress and deficits visible, it sensitizes politicians and the public to the urgency of ambitious climate protection measures.

comparability

Using uniform criteria, the KSI enables an objective comparison between countries and shows which measures are particularly effective.

incentive

Countries can strengthen their international reputation through good rankings in the index and at the same time put pressure on other countries to increase their efforts.

An example of the impact of the KSI is the increasing willingness of many countries to adjust their climate targets upwards - often in response to poor ratings in the index.

🌱⚡ Challenges in implementing climate protection measures

Despite positive developments, there are numerous obstacles to implementing effective climate policy:

1. Economic interests

In many countries, economic priorities such as preserving jobs in fossil fuel industries or economic growth conflict with climate policy goals.

2. Political instability

Particularly in developing countries, political uncertainties or a lack of institutional capacity hinder the implementation of long-term measures.

3. International cooperation

The global nature of climate change requires close cooperation between states – a goal that is often complicated by geopolitical tensions.

4. Financing

The costs of transitioning to a carbon-neutral economy are high, especially for poorer countries that often rely on support from developed countries.

🚀🌎 Perspectives for the future

To advance the global fight against the climate crisis, all actors – from governments to companies to civil society – must step up their efforts:

More ambitious goals

It is crucial that countries align their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) more closely with scientific evidence and set more ambitious reduction targets.

Technological innovations

The expansion of carbon capture and storage technologies and advances in renewable energy can be crucial levers.

Strengthening international agreements

Initiatives such as the Paris Agreement need to be further developed to create more binding commitments and mechanisms to verify compliance.

Promoting global justice

Particularly vulnerable countries need financial support and access to technologies to adapt to the consequences of climate change while promoting sustainable development.

The climate protection index clearly shows where progress is being made and where there is a need to catch up – both in industrialized countries and in the global south. While some countries are already acting as role models and taking ambitious measures, there is still a lot to be done worldwide to achieve the goal of a climate-neutral world by the middle of the century. The KSI reminds us that transparency and comparability are essential to build political pressure and bring about real change - because only through collective action can the global climate crisis be overcome.

Which countries have not ratified the climate agreement?

Three countries have not yet ratified the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement: Iran, Libya and Yemen.

Iran is the largest emitter among these countries, accounting for about 2% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The non-ratification is mainly justified by the international sanctions against the country, which make investments in renewable energies and other climate protection measures more difficult. Iran has signaled it would ratify the deal if sanctions are lifted.

Libya (0.16% of global emissions) and Yemen (0.03%) have also not ratified. Both countries are characterized by political instability and conflict, which makes the implementation of international agreements difficult.

These three countries together contribute about 2.19% of global emissions, while 194 countries and the European Union have already ratified the agreement.

📣 Similar topics

🌍 The importance of the Paris Climate Agreement in global climate protection
📊 Climate Protection Index: A benchmark for transparency in climate policy
💡 Technological innovations as the key to climate neutrality
💶 Directing financial flows: Why investments are crucial
🔥 Stopping global warming: Goals and challenges of the 1.5 degree Limits
🛑 Countries with catching up to do in the 2024 Climate Protection Index
⚡ Renewable energies and their contribution to the transformation of the global economy
🌱 Morocco and Denmark: role models in international climate protection
🔍 The role of the KSI in assessing global climate policy
✍️ Why Iran, Libya and Yemen have not ratified the Paris Agreement

#️⃣ Hashtags: #ClimateProtectionIndex #ParisClimateAgreement #RenewableEnergy #ClimateGoals #TransparencyInClimateProtection

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