Nation once again at the top of the climate class

New COP19 report says Denmark is doing the most to combat climate change

For the second consecutive year, Denmark has topped the list of countries doing the most to combat climate change.

This year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) was released at the COP19 climate summit in Warsaw. The index looks at the climate efforts of the 58 countries that together are responsible for more than 90 percent of the world's energy-related CO2 emissions. The list is compiled by the German think-tank GermanWatch. The think-tank ranked Denmark as number four, saying that no country was doing enough to combat climate change to warrant a top three ranking. Coming in behind Denmark were the UK, Portugal, Sweden and Switzerland. 

Søren Dyck-Madsen, a spokesperson for the national ecological council, Det Økologiske Råd, said that this year’s first-place ranking proved that last year’s was not a fluke.

“We are even more clearly number one than we were last year,” Dyck-Madsen told public broadcaster DR.

Denmark’s national and international climate policies led to the number one ranking.

“Danish policies resonate with the world,” said Dyck-Madsen. “Particularly the decision to commit to converting  to 100 percent fossil-free, renewable energy by 2050 and this year’s widely-supported energy agreement.”

Dyck-Madsen said that it is important that the public at large is usually supportive of political decisions related to the environment.

Despite being number one, Dyck-Madsen said that there is always room for improvement.

“We are not quite as strong in areas like CO2 emissions, energy consumption and energy saving,” he said.

He also cited the agricultural and transportation sectors as areas where the country could do better environmentally.

COP19 is taking place in Warsaw through November 22. The CCPI can be found here. 

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