Key Highlights
- India fell 13 spots to 23rd in the 2026 Climate Change Performance Index.
- Absence of a national coal phase‑out schedule dramatically impacted ranking.
- Score of 61.31 shifted India from "high performer" to "medium performer".
- Notable advances: 50% non‑fossil capacity share by 2025 and 9 GW rooftop solar addition.
- Net‑zero target for 2070 remains misaligned with the 1.5 °C pathway.
Detailed Insights
CCPI evaluates 63 countries on GHG emissions, renewable energy progress, energy efficiency, and climate policy. In 2026 the top positions are still vacant, while Denmark, Morocco and the UK occupy the highest scores. India’s drop is largely attributed to new coal auctions and absence of a coal‑phase‑down roadmap, undermining global climate commitments.
Contrastingly, the report acknowledges several policy strides. Within five years India already surpassed its 2030 NDC target by achieving half of its installed capacity from zero‑fuel sources. The nation also strengthened green finance instruments and sustained energy‑efficiency programmes such as the Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s labelling and the Performance Achievement Target (PAT) mechanism.
Experts criticize lingering fossil subsidies, weak carbon pricing signals and limited civil‑society involvement, while social conflicts over large‑scale renewable installations expose inclusivity gaps. These shortcomings anchor India’s medium‑performance status.
Key Concepts
- Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) – An annual ranking of countries based on emissions, renewable progress, energy use and policy.
- Coal Phase‑Out – A planned schedule to reduce or eliminate coal consumption in national energy mix.
- Net‑Zero 2070 – The target year for India to balance emissions with removals, but it falls short of the global 1.5 °C pathway.