Climate Change Performance Index Ranks National Policies On Warming: Australia Places 60th Of 60

[hatrack]

The Australian government’s policy response to the climate crisis was ranked last in an assessment of 60 countries released at the global climate summit in Glasgow. The Morrison government’s lack of policies, high per capita greenhouse gas emissions, weak targets, low levels of renewables and high levels of energy use, saw the country given an overall ranking of 54 among individual countries.

As a major fossil fuel exporter, Australia’s resources minister, Keith Pitt, said this week the country would continue to produce as much coal as other countries will buy. On the sidelines of the Cop26 talks, Australia has refused to sign a pledge to cut emissions of potent greenhouse gas methane, dismissed calls to phase out coal, refused to improve its 2030 targets, but has promoted gas, carbon capture and storage and hydrogen as solutions.

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The top five performing countries overall are Denmark, then Sweden, Norway, the United Kingdom and Morocco. The bottom five are Kazakhstan, followed by Saudi Arabia, Iran, Canada and Taiwan. The world’s second-highest emitter, the United States, climbed six places from last year’s position but its response was rated “very low” overall and ranked 51st among individual countries. China, the world’s biggest emitter, was 33rd.

Overall, Australia slipped four places on the index from the previous year when it was 50th and it was the only country allocated a score of zero in the climate policy category, faring only slightly better in three other areas. “The country’s lack of ambition and action has made its way to the international stage,” the report says.

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https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/nov/09/australia-ranked-last-of-60-countries-for-policy-response-to-climate-crisis

[Mickju]

1. I'm sure their government isn't concerned about this.

But the people I know there are horrified, as am I.