The new index ranks Australia as the worst-performing country in the world on climate action (SDG 13). This ranking considers greenhouse gas emissions within Australia, emissions from the goods we consume, climate change vulnerability, and emissions from fossil fuels we export to other countries. Australia’s low ranking is partly due to the SDG Index now accounting for the “spillover” effects that countries have on other nations’ ability to meet the SDGs. These effects can be positive, like providing development aid, or negative, like importing or exporting products that create pollution. Australia received one of the lowest scores for ‘climate action’ – ranking fourth-last out of the 168 countries that were scored in the report. This is largely due to us being a major fossil fuel exporter. This shocking result underscores the urgent need to slash climate pollution. As the sunniest and one of the windiest countries in the world, we have everything we need to power past coal and gas and rocket up the rankings as a clean energy superpower. more
