India has slipped five positions to rank 28th in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) 2027 highlighting the challenges the country faces in balancing its renewable energy expansion with continued dependence on fossil fuels. The report was released on Wednesday on the sidelines of the COP31 climate summit in Antalya, Turkey.
India scored 60.85 points falling from 23rd position in the previous edition and 10th place in CCPI 2025. This represents an 18-place decline over two years, although the country retained its overall ‘medium’ performance rating.
The annual index prepared by Germanwatch and the NewClimate Institute, evaluates the climate performance of 64 countries and the European Union, which together account for more than 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable Energy Expansion Earns Recognition
The report acknowledged India’s progress in renewable energy, awarding the country a ‘high’ rating for its renewable energy trend. Growth in solar and wind power, rooftop solar installations, electric vehicles and domestic manufacturing incentives contributed to this assessment.
India achieved an important milestone by June 2025 when non fossil fuel sources accounted for 50 per cent of its installed electricity generation capacity reaching its 2030 target five years ahead of schedule. However, this figure includes nuclear energy and does not represent the actual share of clean sources in electricity generation.
Under its latest Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), India has committed to reducing emissions intensity per unit of GDP by 47 per cent from 2005 levels by 2035. It also aims to increase the share of non-fossil sources in installed electricity capacity to around 60 per cent and develop a carbon sink of 3.5–4 billion tonnes of CO₂ equivalent through forest and tree cover.
Despite these achievements the report pointed to inadequate electricity grid and energy storage infrastructure as major obstacles to India’s clean energy transition.
Citing estimates from energy think tank Ember, it noted that India curtailed 2.3 terawatt hours of solar electricity generation between late May and December 2025 to maintain grid stability.
Coal Dependence Continues to Challenge Climate Goals
India’s continued reliance on coal for electricity generation remains a major concern alongside its dependence on imported crude oil, natural gas and certain coal supplies.
The report observed that India’s net zero emissions target for 2070 provides long term direction but lacks a comprehensive roadmap for transitioning away from fossil fuels.
However, a senior Union environment ministry official rejected the report’s assessment, arguing that India has consistently performed well in climate action. The official highlighted the country’s early achievement of its 2030 non-fossil electricity capacity target and the rapid expansion of renewable energy.
The official also maintained that coal would continue to play a role in India’s energy policy, given the country’s development priorities.
Nakul Sharma a climate expert at the think tank E3G who contributed to the India assessment, said the country’s energy transition was progressing but needed to accelerate.
He highlighted the need to bridge the gap between installed renewable energy capacity and actual electricity generation, address rising per capita emissions and energy consumption and translate climate commitments into faster action across different sectors.
Ten G20 Nations Receive ‘Very Low’ Ratings
The CCPI 2027 also revealed significant gaps in global climate performance. No country secured an overall ‘very high’ rating across all assessment categories.
Denmark retained its position as the world’s highest ranked country at fourth place, scoring 84.05 points. Lithuania and Luxembourg followed while the United Kingdom and Morocco also featured among the higher performers.
Among G20 nations the UK was the only country to receive an overall ‘high’ rating, while 10 countries were placed in the ‘very low’ category.
Saudi Arabia ranked 65th, Russia 66th and the United States 67th, making them the lowest performing G20 members in the index.
The European Union improved by one position to rank 19th, retaining its ‘medium’ rating, while nine individual EU member states received ‘high’ ratings.
The findings underline the urgent need for stronger climate policies, faster renewable energy deployment and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. For India, the key challenge will be turning its growing renewable energy capacity into actual clean electricity generation while meeting rising energy demands and development needs.