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Switzerland tumbles down climate performance ratings

The Local
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Switzerland tumbles down climate performance ratings
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Switzerland has fallen seven places in the latest climate performance rankings, currently placed behind Morocco, India and the United Kingdom.

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The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), which was presented at the climate summit in Madrid on Wednesday, has Switzerland at 16th globally - down from 9th in 2018. 

Sweden is the highest rated country on the list, followed by Denmark, Morocco and the United Kingdom. Sweden has set a goal of carbon neutrality by 2045, along with achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2040. 

Sweden officially comes in at fourth place, with the CCPI deciding not to include any countries in the top three placings on the list as no country has fulfilled the requirements to keep global warming temperature increases below 2°C. 

READ: Climate change set to cost CHF1 billion per year

The authors note that global coal consumption is falling, leading to declining emissions in 31 out of 57 countries. 

Switzerland

Environmental organisations Greenpeace and WWF have been critical of a lack of action on the part of the Swiss government to reduce emissions. 

Patrick Hofstetter of WWF Switzerland told Swiss daily 20 Minutes that despite efforts to implement climate policies, not enough is being done by the Swiss government to reduce emissions. 

WATCH: 3D models show how climate change could shrink Swiss glacier

“In August, the Federal Council has announced a net zero emission target by 2050, but there is still no implementation strategy and no binding reduction plan”, he said. 

“As a rich country, Switzerland can and must increase its ambitions for climate protection. 

“We have the technology and we have the money - we just don’t have the political will.”

Switzerland has forecast a 30 percent reduction in emissions by 2030, a target which Hofstetter has criticised as “inadequate”. 

Worst of the worst

At the other end of the list, the United States replaced Saudi Arabia at the bottom of the rankings for the first time ever. Russia, Canada and Australia are also among the worst performers. 

As noted by the authors, there are few indications that anything will change in these countries soon. 

“Australia, Saudi Arabia and especially the USA give cause for great concern with their low to very low performance in emissions and renewable energy development as well as climate policy,” the report reads.

“With these three governments massively influenced by the coal and oil lobby, there are hardly any signs of serious climate policy in sight.”

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