A report released at the COP18 meeting in Doha puts Denmark at the top of the environmental energy policy class.

The Climate Change Performance Index 2013 report, published by Climate Action Network Europe and Germanwatch gives Denmark a score of 72.61 out of 100, with Sweden in second place with 69.37 and Portugal in bronze position with 67.81 points.

“Denmark is this year’s best performer and ranks 4th behind the top three empty positions. Their success is based on a positive development in recent emissions and an exceptionally good policy evaluation,” the report says.

But it adds: “A spot of bother remains. In the recent development of energy efficiency Denmark has lost ground on its competitors”.

The top three positions on the report scale have been left empty. “No country‘s effort is deemed sufficient to prevent dangerous climate change. Therefore, as in the years before, we still cannot award any country with 1st, 2nd or 3rd place,” the report says.

The Danish Ecological Council, the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Noah environment movement evaluated the Denmark’s political effort for the report.

“Denmark’s climate effort is very good, although there is still room for improvement,” says Søren-Dyck Madsen of the Ecological Council. Madsen is currently in Doha for COP18.

Madsen says that the political Energy Agreement entered into in March is one of the main reasons that Denmark has jumped from 12th place in the 2012 report to overtake Sweden in the 2013 listings.

“We have demonstrated that it is both possible and economically sustainable to rearrange the energy supply,” he says.

In the overall standings, Iran comes second to last in 60th place with 35.8 points and Saudi Arabia is at the bottom of the list in 61st place with 26.9 points.

Of the 10 largest CO2 emitters, Canada came in 58th place, Russia in 56th place and China with 21.42 per cent of global CO2 emissions marginally improved to 54th place. Germany, which has 2.34 per cent of global CO2 emissions dropped a couple of places to come in number 8, with an improvement in the United States to 43rd place. The United States has 16.26 per cent of global CO2 emissions and is one of two countries – the US and China – with double figure emissions.

FACEBOOK – Follow Politiken’s News in English