Switzerland climbs global climate ranking but progress is slow

In 2023, transport accounted for 43% of Switzerland's CO2 emissions (not including aviation). Between 1990 and 2023, CO2 emissions from transport fell by 7%. Keystone / Gaetan Bally

Switzerland has climbed seven places in a major international climate performance ranking, but analysts say the country is still failing to cut emissions fast enough at home.

The latest Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI),External link published on Tuesday, places Switzerland 26th out of 63 countries assessed – an improvement driven largely by new climate legislation and updated emissions targets. But the report also highlights Switzerland’s over-reliance on carbon offsets abroad and slow progress in cutting emissions in sectors such as transport, aviation, finance and agriculture.

The findings come as world leaders gather in Belém, Brazil, for the second week of the COP30 climate summit.

Global progress ‘too slow’

Summing up, the report paints what its authors describe as an “ambivalent picture” of global climate action, ten years after the Paris AgreementExternal link.

They say global per-capita emissions are falling and renewable energy deployment is growing massively, with more than 100 countries now aiming for net-zero emissions. But the pace remains insufficient to meet the Paris target of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

The United States – currently the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China – is largely absent from COP30, while several major oil-producing states continue to cling to fossil fuels, the report notes.

Denmark, the UK and Morocco occupy positions four to six in this year’s index. As in previous years, the top three places remain empty because no country is judged to be taking action compatible with the 1.5°C pathway. The United States, Iran and Saudi Arabia sit at the bottom of the table.

Switzerland: a ‘medium performer’

Despite this year’s rise, Switzerland’s position is much lower than six years ago, when it ranked ninth. It is now classed as a “medium performer”, sitting between Malta and Brazil.

CCPI

Jan Burck of the NGO GermanwatchExternal link, which helped put together the CCPI, told Swissinfo that Switzerland’s loss of ground in recent years reflects “other states’ better performance especially on renewables”. The 2021 public vote rejecting a climate protection law had also cost Switzerland several places in the ranking, he added.

New targets, but calls for stronger action

Switzerland aimsExternal link to halve its emissions by 2030 and reach net zero by 2050. In January, the government set interim goals: by 2035 it should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65% compared to 1990 levels and by 59% on average between 2031 and 2035.

These updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs)External link along with new legislation – including revisions to the CO₂ Act,External link the Climate and Innovation ActExternal link and the Electricity ActExternal link, – contributed to Switzerland’s improved ranking this year.

But CCPI experts argue that Switzerland could “raise its ambitions” further, noting that Finland plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2035 and Iceland by 2040.

They also lament that Switzerland has not clearly stated how much of its 2030 target will be met domestically rather than through carbon offsetting.

CCPI ranking

The CCPI is a ranking of countries according to their performance in the area of climate protection. It is published annually by the NGO Germanwatch, the New Climate Institute and the Climate Action Network. It focuses on 63 countries and the European Union, which together are responsible for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The index ranking is based on four key indicators: greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energies, energy use and climate policy and input from 450 global experts.

“Greater cuts could be achieved by implementing effective regulations in all sectors, especially transport, agriculture and finance. A phase-out for fossil fuels should also be put in place in Switzerland,” say the authors.

In a statement published on Tuesday, Greenpeace Switzerland criticised the government’s current climate strategy. “We could and should use energy more intelligently and ban oil and natural gas from our homes and cars,” said climate expert Georg Klingler. He also urged measures to limit the Swiss financial sector’s role in funding high-emission activities.

Implementation concerns

Switzerland’s CO₂ ActExternal link came into force at the start of 2025. It includes financial incentives, investment in climate-mitigation projects, development of carbon-capture technologies and the option to use carbon offsetting abroad. But critics say the law has been insufficiently implemented and additional measures are lacking.

Klingler said it risks “further delaying decarbonisation” in Switzerland and that the government should “rethink its overall approach” to climate protection.

The Electricity ActExternal link, which aims to boost domestic renewable energy – solar, wind and hydropower, and reduce reliance on imports – was generally welcomed by CCPI analysts. But they warned that weak regulations are slowing the transition away from fossil fuels.

Burck of Germanwatch believes Switzerland could speed up its shift to a clean energy future by strengthening mandatory solar requirements for large roofs and all new buildings, guaranteeing electric-vehicle charging rights for tenants, and setting firm dates to phase out fossil-fuel heating systems and petrol cars. He also noted the need to address persistent barriers to wind-power approvals and warned against investment in nuclear or gas-fired plants.

Swiss 2030 target likely to be missed

Despite its climate ambitions, Swiss officials acknowledge that the country is unlikely to hit its 2030 climate target.

“We will miss our climate targets for 2030 – and by a significant margin,” said Reto Burkard, deputy director of the Federal Office for the Environment, during a climate law conference in Bern earlier this month. He did not provide figures.

In 2022 the government also signalled in an environment reportExternal link that the target was in jeopardy. This would not be a first. Switzerland narrowly missed its 2020 emissions goal, registering 19% instead of the stipulated 20%.

Burkard criticises parliament for the expected 2030 shortfall, saying climate issues currently attract little interest in federal politics. What is needed, he said, is not more targets.

“What I am interested in is a mix of measures that is socially acceptable. And one that actually has a high probability of surviving in parliament,” he told the Bern audience.

Edited by Marc Philipp Leutenegger/ts