Will the EU rank above the US and China every year until 2030, according to the Climate Change Performance Index?

Most countries worldwide have increased their focus on tackling climate change, pledging reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, increasing subsidies for renewable energies, and further public policy aimed at climate. The three major trading blocs/countries, the European Union, the United States of America, and China, contribute to a substantial portion of overall emissions, with China currently emitting more than the other two combined. In per capita terms, the US is ahead of both the EU and China, who are on more similar levels.

According to Climate Action Tracker, China’s overall rating of its climate action is classified as ‘highly insufficient’ while both the US and the EU are classified as ‘insufficient’. However, the EU has positioned itself as a leader on climate with its comprehensive ‘2030 climate & energy framework’. Recently, with the Inflation Reduction Act, the US has also significantly stepped up its efforts to combat climate change, while China has lagged both the EU and the US while also announcing their own efforts.

So far, the EU has ranked above the US and China in almost all climate-related indices like the Climate Change Performance Index, which ranks the EU at #19, China at #51, and the US at #52. The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is an annual report that evaluates and compares the climate protection performance of 57 countries and the European Union. The methodology behind the CCPI involves a combination of quantitative and qualitative indicators that assess each country's climate policies and their implementation. The CCPI evaluates each country based on four categories: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Renewable Energy, Energy Use, and Climate Policy. Each category has a different weight assigned to it, and the indicators within each category are given different scores based on their relevance and importance.

For summaries of the three blocs/countries, see below:

The EU receives a medium rating in the GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use categories. In Climate Policy, it receives a high, reflecting the progress the supranational union has made in this category since a year before.

In the GHG Emissions and Energy Use categories, [China] ranks very low. However, because of its strong renewable energy development over the past years, China rates high in the Renewable Energy category. For Climate Policy, it receives a medium.

The US receives a very low in the GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, and Energy Use categories, though rates a medium in Climate Policy.

Understanding both absolute levels of emissions/policy responses and relative positions of major countries and blocs is central to understanding future progress on climate change.