A few years ago, Sweden topped the annual climate ranking compiled by the German organization Germanwatch.
But for the fourth year in a row, Sweden has lost ground, slipping to twelfth place (the ranking is 15th, but places one to three are vacant because no country meets the requirements). Spain and Estonia are the latest countries to overtake it.
“Sweden - which has long been a leading player in the CCPI with a consistently ‘high’ rating - has seen its scores plummet and was knocked out of the top ten, mainly due to the new government’s policies,” Germanwatch writes, referring to the Tidö government.
As before, Sweden receives a high rating for emissions and a very high rating for renewable energy, but a low rating for climate policy and a very low rating for energy use.
The report’s authors say Sweden is not on track to meet its national climate goals for 2030 or 2045, and that the gap has widened.
The Tidö government has also invested in nuclear power at the expense of renewables and supported fossil fuels in the transport sector by lowering petrol and diesel taxes.
The experts also criticize the lack of policies for sustainable forestry and agriculture, but praise Sweden for pushing forward with the EU’s climate goals.
Denmark has topped the ranking for the sixth year in a row, thanks to reduced emissions and investment in renewables. Next come newcomers Lithuania and Luxembourg. At the bottom are Iran, the USA, Russia, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
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