India Climate Index performance has attracted attention after India secured the 28th position in the 2026 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). The report was released on 11 November 2026 during the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey. India dropped five positions compared with its 2025 ranking but maintained an overall medium performance rating. The latest report highlights India’s progress in renewable energy, electric vehicles and industrial efficiency, while also pointing out challenges in reducing emissions and improving clean energy infrastructure.

India Ranks 28th in Climate Change Performance Index 2026

The 2026 Climate Change Performance Index evaluated 64 countries and the European Union. Together, these countries and regions account for more than 90 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

India secured the 28th position, compared with 23rd place in the previous year’s index. Although the country moved down five positions, it continued to receive an overall medium rating.

The top three positions in the index were left vacant because no country achieved a very high performance across all the indicators. Denmark secured fourth place and was the highest-ranked country in the 2026 report.

The index is an important international assessment because it compares the climate policies and environmental performance of major greenhouse gas-emitting countries.

India’s Performance in Different Climate Categories

The Climate Change Performance Index evaluates countries across four major areas: greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, energy use and climate policy.

India performed differently across these categories in the 2026 report.

The country ranked 13th in climate policy, showing relatively stronger performance in its climate-related plans and government measures. It secured 31st position in greenhouse gas emissions and 33rd in energy use. In renewable energy, India ranked 40th.

These rankings show that India has made progress in developing climate policies, but further improvements are needed in renewable energy integration, energy efficiency and emissions reduction.

The overall medium rating indicates that India still faces important challenges in meeting its long-term climate goals.

Challenges in India’s Renewable Energy Development

India has increased its renewable energy capacity through solar, wind and other clean energy projects. However, the report highlighted several difficulties in using all the electricity produced from renewable sources.

One major problem is renewable energy curtailment. This happens when electricity generated from renewable sources cannot be fully supplied to the power grid because of technical or operational limitations.

According to an estimate by Ember, India curtailed around 2.3 terawatt-hours of solar electricity between late May and December 2025 to maintain grid security.

Limited energy storage facilities and gaps in electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure are among the major reasons behind this problem.

Solar and wind power generation can change depending on weather conditions. Therefore, India needs better battery storage systems, stronger transmission networks and improved grid management to make renewable energy more reliable.

India Achieves 50% Non-Fossil Electricity Capacity Target Early

One of the major achievements highlighted in the report is India’s progress in non-fossil electricity capacity.

By June 2025, non-fossil energy sources, including nuclear power, accounted for 50 per cent of India’s total installed electricity capacity.

This achievement allowed India to meet its earlier 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target five years ahead of schedule.

Non-fossil energy sources include solar, wind, hydroelectric and nuclear power. These sources help reduce dependence on coal, oil and natural gas.

However, installed electricity capacity and actual electricity generation are different measurements. Having 50 per cent non-fossil installed capacity does not mean that 50 per cent of the country’s electricity is generated from these sources.

The achievement reflects India’s growing investment in cleaner electricity infrastructure.

Electric Vehicles and Industrial Efficiency Support Climate Goals

The 2026 report also recognised India’s progress in electric vehicles, industrial efficiency programmes and energy-saving appliance standards.

Electric vehicles are becoming an important part of India’s efforts to reduce pollution from road transport. Unlike conventional petrol and diesel vehicles, electric vehicles use battery-powered motors and produce no exhaust emissions while driving.

The government and automobile industry have been working to expand electric vehicle adoption through manufacturing support, charging infrastructure and other initiatives.

Industrial energy efficiency is another important area. Industries consume large amounts of electricity and fuel, so improving their energy use can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Since January 2026, India’s Carbon Credit Trading Scheme has assigned emissions-intensity targets to 490 industrial entities. The scheme aims to encourage industries to reduce emissions compared with their production levels.

India’s Climate Targets for 2031–2035

India has also outlined important climate targets for the 2031–2035 period. These targets focus on reducing emissions, expanding clean energy and increasing carbon absorption through forests and trees.

One major target is to reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 47 per cent from the 2005 level.

Emissions intensity measures the amount of greenhouse gas emissions produced for each unit of economic output. Reducing this figure means that the economy can grow while producing fewer emissions relative to its size.

India also aims to increase the share of non-fossil sources in installed electricity capacity to around 60 per cent.

Another important target is to create an additional carbon sink of 3.5 to 4 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent through forest and tree cover, compared with the 2005 level.

Forests play an important role in climate protection because trees absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store carbon.

Climate Change Performance Index and Its Importance

The Climate Change Performance Index is an international assessment that compares the climate action of countries and major economies.

It is published by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute and the Climate Action Network International. The index uses different indicators to assess greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy development, energy consumption and climate policies.

Greenhouse gas emissions carry 40 per cent of the total weighting, while renewable energy, energy use and climate policy each account for 20 per cent.

The top three positions are kept vacant because the index considers that no country has yet achieved a very high performance across all assessment areas.

The 2026 report was released during COP31, held in Antalya from 9 to 20 November 2026. The conference brought together countries to discuss climate action, emissions reduction, clean energy development and international cooperation.

India’s 28th position highlights both its progress and the challenges ahead. Expanding renewable energy, improving electricity storage, strengthening power infrastructure and reducing industrial emissions will remain important parts of its climate action efforts.