Malta ranks high in Climate Change performance index

The index, authored by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe, puts Malta in 12^th position worldwide, and in fifth best position amongst the EU member states.

No explanation is given on Malta’s rating, which is simply described as ‘good’. A separate index is set apart for the world’s 10 largest carbon emitters.

The index compares the climate protection performance of 57 countries that are together responsible for more than 90% of global energy-related carbon emissions.

80% of the evaluation is based on emissions levels, while 20% results from national and international climate policy assessments by 190 experts from the respective countries.

Brazil was ranked the best performer this year. But although the country reduced its deforestation rate, the index itself doesn’t take deforestation and land-use emissions into account due to a lack of international data availability.

The 2008 financial crisis was a contributing factor on emission trends: the loss in industrial production cause some countries to even exceed national emissions reduction targets.

While China remains the world’s largest CO2 emitter, with a growing gap between itself and all other countries, it is also installing about half of the global renewable energy capacity.