Climate
Switzerland rises to 24th in climate performance ranking
Switzerland has climbed two places to 24th in the Climate Change Performance Index, but remains in the middle of the rankings. The assessment gives the country relatively strong marks for emissions and energy use while criticising its climate policy.
Switzerland climbed two places to 24th, but the improvement leaves it in the middle of the Climate Change Performance Index. The ranking was presented on November 11 on the sidelines of the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP31, in Antalya, Turkey.
The index, published by the environmental organisations Germanwatch and the New Climate Institute, assesses 64 countries and the European Union. Together, they account for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Its comparison looks at emissions, the development of renewable energy, energy consumption and climate policy.
That broad assessment gives Switzerland a mixed result. The country scores relatively well on greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, while experts take a more critical view of its climate policy. The two-place rise records a shift in the standings, but Switzerland remains outside the leading group. The ranking’s first three places are left vacant because, according to its organisers, no country is doing enough to prevent dangerous climate change and fully meet the Paris Agreement goals.
Put the 2030 Target in Focus
Emissions and energy use are Switzerland’s stronger marks, while the country’s climate policy draws sharper criticism. The index assesses four areas: greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy development, energy consumption and climate policy. The Swiss result therefore combines relatively favourable assessments on two measures with a weaker judgement on government action.
Experts cited in the ranking believe Switzerland will not meet its target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030. They argue that too few effective measures are being implemented within the country. That criticism helps explain why a better position in the overall table has not lifted Switzerland out of the middle ranks.
The target is a central benchmark in the assessment of Swiss policy. The reported concern is not that Switzerland lacks a stated goal, but that experts question whether current measures can deliver it. For the country, the ranking points to a gap between comparatively strong marks for emissions and energy consumption and the pace of action judged necessary to reach the 2030 commitment.
Bring Emissions Cuts Home
Climate experts want Switzerland to cut emissions faster at home. Patrick Hofstetter, a climate protection and energy expert at WWF Switzerland, said the country relies too heavily on emissions reductions abroad. WWF and Greenpeace made the criticism in a joint press release.
“Instead of relying on uncertain and unfair emissions reductions abroad, Switzerland must reduce its own emissions more rapidly within its own borders,” Hofstetter said.
His warning aligns with the index’s criticism that too few effective measures are being implemented domestically. It also puts the debate over the at least 50% emissions-reduction target by 2030 squarely on Swiss climate policy: experts see faster reductions within the country as necessary if Switzerland is to meet its commitment.
The ranking does not erase Switzerland’s relatively strong assessments for emissions and energy consumption. It shows how those results sit alongside concern over the government’s approach and the role of reductions counted abroad. For Hofstetter and the organisations behind the joint statement, the priority is more rapid action within Switzerland’s borders.
Measure Switzerland Against Its Neighbours
Switzerland ranks ahead of Germany, Austria and Italy, but behind France. France stands 20th, Switzerland 24th and Germany 25th. Austria is 33rd and Italy 41st, placing Switzerland above its other neighbouring countries in the table.
The ranking’s leading positions remain open: its organisers say no country is taking sufficient measures to prevent dangerous climate change and fully achieve the Paris Agreement targets. Denmark is the highest-ranked country at fourth, followed by Lithuania and Luxembourg. Saudi Arabia, Russia, the United States and Iran occupy the bottom positions.
For Switzerland, the two-place rise offers a modest improvement against that wider regional and global picture. Its middle-ranking position reflects the contrast between relatively strong marks for emissions and energy consumption and criticism of its climate policy. The assessment at COP31 leaves the country with a clear point of reference: its neighbours do not all perform alike, and experts say Switzerland’s domestic measures need to move faster to meet its 2030 emissions target.