Philippines drops to 19th in 2026 climate performance index

The Philippines has dropped 12 places to rank 19th in the 2026 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), a decrease from its previous 7th place ranking.

Despite the drop, it remains the highest-ranking Southeast Asian nation with a score of 62.79, while Vietnam ranks second in the region at 24th with a score of 60.65.

The top three spots in the index were left blank as no country was deemed strong enough in all categories to achieve a very high overall rating, effectively placing Denmark at 4th and the UK at 5th.

Country rankings are determined by climate policies, renewable energy performance, energy use, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The Philippines scored well in energy use (7th) and GHG emissions (12th), historically being a low-emitter and contributing 0.5% to global emissions as the world's 37th largest emitter.

However, the country ranked lower in renewable energy (34th) and climate policy (29th).

The CCPI cited the absence of a net-zero target and ambitious, unconditional intermediate targets as reasons for the Philippines' considerable drop in ranking, despite acknowledging its efforts in establishing a carbon offsetting registry.