Ireland has been ranked 29th out of 63 countries and counted among medium performers in an annual climate performance ranking released at COP29 in Baku in Azerbaijan.
The country has shown marked improvement, having climbed 14 places from last year’s position of 43 in the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI).
CCPI indicates the climate mitigation efforts of 63 nations and the European Union, which collectively account for over 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
This year, Ireland has received a medium rating in renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy, and a low rating in GHG emissions.
The CCPI report noted that Ireland’s solar capacity has almost doubled in one year due to the country’s surge in utlility-scale solar projects and a significant rise in small and domestic rooftop solar.
However, it added that the country is set to remain greatly dependent on fossil fuel generation, noting that the there is an urgent need for port infrastructure and grid strengthening to ensure medium-to-long term offshore wind expansion and heating and transport electrification.
It also highlighted that data centers account for over 20 per cent of electricity demand and could rise to 30 per cent by 2030.
At the international level, the CCPI report said Ireland is a strong performer in climate finance, especially in loss and damage.
Denmark topped the index, and is followed by The Netherlands, the UK, the Philippines and Morocco.
