Nairobi, Kenya, Nov 13: India is among the top ten
countries that are doing the most to protect against climate
change, but their efforts are not nearly enough, according to
a report released today by environmental groups.
Sweden tops the list followed by the United Kingdom,
Denmark, Malta, Germany, Argentina, Hungary and Brazil. India
ranks ninth.
``We don`t have any winners, we only have countries
that are better compared to others,`` said Matthias Duwe of
the climate action network-Europe, which released the data
during the second week of the U.N. climate conference. ``We
don`t have big shining stars.``
The United States the world`s biggest emitter of
greenhouse gases ranked 53, with only China, Malaysia
and Saudi Arabia doing worse. U.S. emissions grew by 16
percent between 1990 and 2004, according to a recent U.N.
report.
The index ranks 56 countries that were part of a 1992
climate treaty or that contribute at least 1 percent of the
greenhouse gas emissions in the world. The countries make up
90 percent of global carbon dioxide emissions.
The calculations, performed by the environmental group
Germanwatch, took into account emissions levels, emissions
trends and climate policy.
About one-quarter of the energy consumed in Sweden in
2003 came from renewable sources more than four times as
much as the European Union average of 6 percent, according to
EU statistics. In Stockholm, one-quarter of city buses run on
ethanol or biogas.
The country with the worst ranking was Saudi Arabia,
the world`s largest oil exporter.
Bureau Report
