Trusted data source for international media and research
The country-level climate data gap
Despite growing regulatory pressure and market demand, most climate data for sovereigns remains fragmented, unclear, or misaligned with Paris goals.
01
Too many climate KPIs, no guidance on relevance or weighting
Problem: Investors face a flood of sovereign-level climate metrics, but little clarity on which indicators truly matter or how to combine them.
Solution: The CCPI applies a scientifically grounded framework developed by leading climate experts to select and weight the most decision-relevant KPIs.
02
Complex data, but no headline signal
Problem: Many datasets offer granular metrics but no intuitive way to compare countries or communicate results internally or externally.
Solution: The CCPI delivers both – detailed indicator-level insights and a transparent, aggregated score per country.
03
Opaque methodologies, unclear assumptions
Problem: Most climate datasets lack full methodological transparency, making auditability and internal validation difficult.
Solution: The CCPI offers comprehensive documentation, open scoring frameworks, and is widely cited in academic, NGO, and policy circles.
04
Misalignment with Paris Agreement goals
Problem: Many datasets assess performance without reference to what each country must do to stay within the 1.5 to 2°C limit.
Solution: The CCPI benchmarks each country against a well-below-2°C trajectory using the “common but differentiated responsibilities” principle.
05
Lack of time-series data
Problem: To assess progress, trend analysis is essential, but many datasets lack historical depth.
Solution: The CCPI includes consistently applied country scores from 2007 onward, enabling longitudinal analysis and performance monitoring.
06
Conflicting scores, little local insight
Problem: Data providers often deliver divergent climate scores, with little understanding of local context.
Solution: The CCPI integrates expert evaluations from 450+ national climate professionals to assess country-specific policy ambition and implementation.
What makes the CCPI stand out
Not just more data. Better data. The CCPI turns climate science into real insight.
Global scope, local depth
Covers 60+ countries representing >90% of global emissions. All major sovereign bond issuers included. Upadated annually.
From granular to aggregated
Detailed scores across 14 indicators, but also an intuitive overall rating to support strategy, reporting, and engagement.
Paris-aligned trajectories
Scores benchmarked against well-below-2°C pathways, grounded in “common but differentiated responsibilities”.
Beyond carbon
Evaluates sovereigns across four critical transition pillars: GHG emissions, renewable energy, energy use, and climate policy.
Forward-looking KPIs
Used for transition risk analysis: Indicators include 2030 target assessments and pathway alignment based on the Paris Agreement.
Deep climate expertise
Developed by a leading NGO and 450+ local experts across the globe.
For (...) data relating to sovereign emissions, it is recommended that members consider (...) [the] Climate Change Performance Index
UN-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance
Background document, Apr 2024
ONE NUMBER
Cross-country comparability
The CCPI translates a standardized set of climate metrics into a single 0-100 score per country, enabling fast comparison, peer benchmarking, and net-zero alignment monitoring across sovereigns.
BROAD COVERAGE
60+ countries. Since 2007
Comprehensive country assessments augmented by expert-based national policy scores from 450+ climate professionals worldwide.
FULL ACCESS
More than 50,000 data points
Each annual edition delivers up to 3,650 individual data points spanning all 14 indicators.
Use cases & application
From ESG scorecards to sovereign portfolio rebalancing: Whether institutions are building a fixed income strategy or responding to emerging regulatory and market requirements, the CCPI integrates into existing workflows.
ESG & 'climate alpha' analysis
CCPI data can be used to tilt sovereign exposures towards higher performing issuers in multi-asset investing based on granular country-level metrics.
See example here.
Net-zero alignment
Scores and indicators are designed to support alignment with the IIGCC Net Zero Investment Framework (NZIF).
See framework here.
Policy benchmarking & engagement
The CCPI enables the benchmarking of national climate policy ambition and implementation, facilitating structured engagement with public issuers.
See example here.
Sovereign bond performance
CCPI data has been used in academic research to examine the relationship between a country's climate transition readiness and its sovereign bond yields.
See example here.
Custom index construction
The CCPI has been used to underpin proprietary strategies, such as sovereign fixed-income indices , designed to support portfolio differentiation.
See example here.
Recognized in research and finance
The CCPI is publically referenced by leading financial institutions and cited in academic research.
"This data [CCPI] has been incorporated in the M&G Investments Sovereign Bond Framework, which is used for the sustainability analysis of government bonds and enables proprietary assessment of sovereign bonds for consideration as sustainable investments, as per the SFDR."
"For UK government bond holdings, we will use the Germanwatch Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) scoring process (...) as a basis for monitoring and advocating for progress in line with the UK government’s net zero targets."
"Sovereign GHG emissions are covered in our net zero framework through the objective to beat the Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) score of the ICE BofA World Sovereign Bond Index at each end of year."
Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria
Report on TCFD, 2023
"In this case [Sovereign issuers], the CCPI indicator prepared by Germanwatch has been selected: it establishes a ranking in which, according to a country’s score, a rating is assigned (very high, high, medium, low and very low) for its progress in the fight against climate change. Countries with very high and high ratings are considered to be aligned or
aligning with Net Zero."
"For sovereign bonds, we have used Germanwatch Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) referenced by NZIF (...)"
"In the case of sovereign bonds the recommended approach is the Germanwatch Climate Change Performance Index which translates a number of metrics for each sovereign into a 0-100 score which is used to divide countries into alignment tiers which can be mapped to the NZIF alignment categories."
Frequently asked questions
Get answers to the most common questions
about the CCPI
ABOUT THE CCPI
Does the CCPI use production-based or consumption-based emissions?
The CCPI uses production-based emissions. While consumption-based emissions may better reflect sovereign responsibility in theory, production-based data is preferred for several reasons:
1. More comprehensive and consistent data coverage across countries
2. Lower uncertainty due to fewer assumptions and better data availability
3. Faster reporting cycles (shorter lag)
4. Includes all five Kyoto GHGs, not just CO₂
5. Alignment with UNFCCC reporting and NDC targets
6. Higher policy relevance, as governments have more influence over domestic emissions
The CCPI team continuously monitors advances in consumption-based data and will transparently report any future integration.
How is “fair share” integrated in the CCPI?
The CCPI applies a common but differentiated convergence (CDC) approach, inspired by IPCC principles. Key elements include:
1. Country-specific pathways based on the CDC approach
2. Per capita assessments to reflect equity and historical responsibility
3. Policy performance scores that account for each country’s capabilities & development context
This ensures that countries are evaluated relative to what is fair and feasible, not just absolute outcomes.
How is climate policy performance assessed?
CCPI policy scores are based on expert assessments by over 450 local professionals in climate and energy policy (from NGOs, think tanks, and academia). The evaluation includes both:
1. Implementation and ambition of policies
2. Contextual fairness, based on each country’s capacity and responsibility
Topics covered include: GHG reduction, renewable energy, energy efficiency, NDC targets, fossil fuel policies, and international climate engagement. Detailed documentation available upon request
Are LULUCF emissions included in the GHG evaluation?
Yes. Land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) emissions are integrated into the GHG evaluation, reflecting their critical role in achieving net-zero targets.
HOW IT COMPARES TO OTHERS
How is the CCPI different from other data providers?
The CCPI is developed by an independent team of NGO climate experts, not by data vendors or governments. It prioritizes global justice, transparency, and scientific integrity. Unlike many sources that rely on unverified state data, CCPI assessments are based on independent expert input and extensive cross-checking.
Do users have to perform their own analysis or indicator selection?
No. The CCPI is a ready-to-use, expert-curated database. It delivers pre-scored, aggregated results that support direct integration into strategic decision-making, without requiring internal analysts to design or weight indicators themselves.
How long has the CCPI been in use and how reliable is it?
First published in 2007, the CCPI offers one of the longest-standing datasets for sovereign climate performance. Its consistent methodology supports trend analysis, momentum signals, and historical backtesting, a key differentiator from newer or ad hoc frameworks.
What makes the CCPI methodology more robust than others?
Several key features distinguish CCPI from other rating systems:
1. True comparability across countries via standardized, multi-dimensional scoring
2. Evaluation of both policy ambition and implementation realism
3. Manual quality control by experienced climate researchers to catch data inconsistencies
4. Broad adoption across finance, policy, media, and academia
© 2025 RCLM GmbH. All rights reverved.