The index, prepared by think tank Germanwatch, collaborating with environmental group Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, is based on several factors, such as levels of heat-trapping gas emissions, the use of renewable energy, and climate policy.

Japan is deemed the second-worst performer of 57 countries,  the CCPI report indicates, in a release to the Ghana News Agency. The report says Tokyo’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions centre on reactivating nuclear energy as more or less the only alternative to fossil fuels, “instead of sufficiently promoting renewable energy.”

With the top three countries left intentionally blank, Japan placed 60th, down two notches from the previous year. Saudi Arabia is the only country deemed worse, according to the report. France, which is ranked fourth, is considered the best performer because of its leadership in helping adopt the Paris Agreement on combating Climate Change last December. It is followed by Sweden and Britain.

The three biggest greenhouse gas emitters in the world—China, the United States and India—placed 48th, 43rd and 20th, respectively. Meanwhile, Morocco, a frontrunner in Africa and host of the COP22, continued its upward trend in the CCPI, ranking eighth, with massive investments in renewable energy and ambitious mid- and long-term targets.

“Positive trends are seen as well among emerging economies of the G20 like India (Ranked 20), Argentina (ranked 36) and Brazil (ranked 40), which all improved their ranking in the CCPI 2017,”  the report explains. “Still, no big emitter is acting in line with the 1.5-2°C limit, therefore, the first three ranks are left empty.”

Jan Burck, Germanwatch , key author of the CCPI says, "Conditions for a global energy revolution have never been better. Due to the falling costs of renewable energy and efficiency technologies, national governments have no more excuses not to enshrine the Paris Agreement into national law. "Besides the vast development of renewable energy, we see positive signals that fossil fuels increasingly are put on the defence. So far, falling oil prices did not cause an increase in demand for the energy source while a growing number of countries are starting to turn their backs on coal."