India has dropped to 23rd place in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), slipping into the report’s “medium” category and losing ground after several years near the top. In the preceding report, India was ranked 10th and placed in the “high” category for overall performance.
The new ranking shows rising emissions and slow growth in renewable energy holding the country back.
The index, released on 18 November by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute and Climate Action Network International, rated countries on greenhouse-gas trends, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy. India scored well on energy use per person and on some long-term emissions indicators, but earned a low rating for the share of renewables in its total energy supply and only a medium rating for climate policy. Those factors explain most of the fall, the report said.
India’s slide reflects “steady emissions growth and the lack of a clear plan to end new coal projects,” said Jan Burck of Germanwatch, co-author of the report. India could climb back up the rankings if it slows bringing in new coal to generate electricity and keeps expanding clean energy.
The report arrived as negotiators at the UN climate summit (COP30) in Belém in Brazil were close to the finish line. India has made progress in installing solar parks and improving energy efficiency, the CCPI said. But it stressed that the country’s overall energy system is still dominated by coal, and that no national deadline exists to reduce or eventually stop building coal power plants. The authors called for clear timelines and stronger policy signals across sectors.
India’s climate vulnerability
India’s vulnerability to the climate crisis adds pressure to improve its performance. The Climate Risk Index, also published by Germanwatch, listed India among the countries most affected by extreme weather over the past three decades. Floods, heatwaves, cyclones and landslides have caused deaths and billions of dollars in economic losses. The new CCPI said this risk should be central to India’s climate planning.
Scientific evidence has reinforced the concern. A recent study warned that oppressive heatwaves, or periods when heat and humidity together become dangerous, could increase sharply in India as the planet warms. Another study showed residential cooling demand is rising fast in India, and is likely to grow even more unless buildings become more efficient and electricity becomes cleaner.
The UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2025 warned that even if all countries meet their current promises, the world is still heading for around 2.3 to 2.5 degrees Celsius of warming this century. The CCPI report said no country was on track for the 1.5-degree goal, and once again left the top three spots on the table empty.
The world is at a “turning point,” said Niklas Höhne of the NewClimate Institute, another CCPI author. Global emissions must start dropping quickly to avoid severe impacts, Höhne said. His warning underscored the limits of India’s current pace.
Indian climate activists were varied in their reactions to the new ranking. “India has a good chance to improve this ranking by preparing a clear-cut coal phase-out plan and facilitating a people-centric just transition plan that not only reduces emissions, but also takes care of inclusive approaches to ecological restoration and economic revival,” said Ranjan Panda, Convenor, Combat Climate Change Network.
A coal phase-out plan refers to a step-by-step schedule to reduce and eventually end coal use. A just transition means supporting workers and communities during the shift to clean energy.
Narrow lens of coal usage
“It is hypocritical to judge India through a narrow lens of coal usage without acknowledging that we are supporting 1.5 billion lives on a fraction of the energy consumed by the West,” said Harjeet Singh, Founding Director, Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. “The world needs a faster phase-out of fossil fuels, but it must be led and funded by wealthy nations, not forced.”
Public funding remains critical, according to Janet Milongo of Climate Action Network International. “Energy inequity continues to be a reality for many people in the world,” she said, arguing that more grant-based finance was needed to help countries shift to renewable energy.
For India, the latest CCPI results carry both risks and opportunities. They show that the country has strengths, especially in emissions per person and energy use. But they also show that India’s clean-energy share is not rising fast enough to keep pace with growing demand.
As COP30 negotiators in Brazil push toward an action outcome before the scheduled end of the summit on 21 November, India has called for more climate finance, more access to clean-energy technology and stronger support for adaptation, or adjusting to the effect of climate change to minimize harm. At the same time, the report signalled that India will face growing pressure to outline a clear path away from coal and toward faster renewable-energy growth.
The CCPI is not an indicator of future progress, only of present momentum. But its message for India is direct. The country has the capacity to improve, and the consequences of slow action are already visible on the ground. The decisions taken in the next few years, and in the final hours at Belém, will shape whether India can climb back into the top tier of climate performers.
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