Taiwan is responding strongly to a recent climate ranking that placed it among the lowest performers. The latest Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) ranked Taiwan 59th out of 67 countries. While this is a slight improvement from previous years, it still received a “very low” rating for greenhouse gas emissions and energy use.
Taiwan’s government argues that despite the low ranking, its carbon emissions have been decreasing for three consecutive years. In fact, recent data shows a 2.1% drop in emissions from the previous year, placing Taiwan among 35 countries that are successfully reducing emissions while also growing their economies. According to the Global Carbon Budget, Taiwan’s emissions decreased by 9.6% from 2005 levels, while global emissions rose by about 30%.
Critics of the CCPI methodology highlight that it relies heavily on per-capita emissions. Taiwan’s current per-capita emissions stand at 10.92 tons of CO2 equivalent, which is lower than those of countries like South Korea (12.85 tCO2e), Canada (16.69 tCO2e), and the U.S. (15.23 tCO2e). However, these figures are not enough to offset concerns about Taiwan’s energy policies.
Experts have expressed concern over Taiwan’s continued reliance on liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of phasing out fossil fuels. In 2025, fossil fuels accounted for 85.5% of Taiwan’s electricity, showing a slight increase from the previous year. Notably, renewable energy sources like solar and wind only supplied about 12% of the energy mix.
Other countries in East Asia also fared poorly on the index: China was ranked 54th, Japan 57th, and South Korea 63rd. The U.S. dropped to 65th place. The rankings reflect a complex landscape where many countries face challenges in reducing their carbon footprints while balancing economic growth.
The CCPI uses a scoring system based on greenhouse gas emissions (40% of the total score), renewable energy (20%), energy use (20%), and climate policy (20%). With climate change at the forefront of global discussions, the impacts of such rankings can influence international perceptions and actions. Taiwan’s government continues to defend its approach, citing trends that show progress is being made, even if the overall ranking remains low.
For more comprehensive details on climate performance from across the globe, visit Climate Change Performance Index.
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