US joins Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Russia in the group of countries doing the least to combat climate change

This Tuesday, at the COP30 climate summit being held in Belém, Brazil, the Climate Change Performance Index was presented, a ranking that shows the commitment of world governments to combating global warming. This report has been compiled for the past 21 years, and one of the most striking findings of the 2025 edition is the sharp decline of the United States under Donald Trump. The U.S. now ranks among the four countries doing the least to address the climate emergency among those analyzed. Saudi Arabia, a petrostate that has spent years employing all sorts of tactics to lower the ambition of climate summits, occupies last place. Following, in order, are Iran, the United States, and Russia.

The report analyzes the policies of 63 countries worldwide, which combined are responsible for 90% of greenhouse gas emissions. It is led by Germanwatch, the NewClimate Institute, and CAN International, and its development involves more than 450 climate and energy experts from NGOs, analyst groups, and scientific institutions. Four categories are considered when ranking the nations: greenhouse gas reduction (which carries the most weight in the final score), the development of renewable energy, energy use, and climate policies.

As has been the case since the first edition, the top three places remain vacant, demonstrating that no country is ambitious enough in its measures. The highest-ranked country, in fourth place, is once again Denmark, thanks to its commitment to renewable energy. It is followed by the United Kingdom, Morocco, and Chile. Spain climbs five places this year to 14th, joining the group of countries with a “high” performance.

“Spain continues its path of substantial emissions reductions with EU law integrated into national action plans,” the report states. “Green taxation policies and progressive incorporation of climate criteria in public procurement are vital in the ongoing transition from fossil fuels.” Spain, led by Deputy Prime Minister Sara Aagesen, who also serves as Minister for Ecological Transition, aims to boost ambition at this climate summit, which is taking place at a very challenging time for multilateralism in general and the fight against global warming in particular.

One of the main culprits behind this complicated situation is the new administration led by Donald Trump. The U.S. ranks near the bottom of the ranking presented Tuesday and is among the nations with a “very low” performance. “The U.S. receives very low ratings across the board, for GHG Emissions, Renewable Energy, Climate Policy, and Energy Use,” the report details.

“With the second Donald Trump presidency, there has been a large-scale rollback of climate policies at the national and international levels,” the experts add, pointing to the fact that the president “denies human-made climate change” as the main cause.

Within U.S. borders, “key policies supporting renewable energy build-up and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction have been revoked alongside promotion of fossil fuel expansion,” the report adds.

On the international stage, Trump has not only withdrawn the United States from the Paris Agreement, a move that will take effect in January, and decided not to send negotiators to COP30, but he has also displayed a threatening attitude toward countries that have sought to advance climate action. This occurred in October, when the White House threatened sanctions and tariffs against governments that supported a new tax on emissions from international shipping.

The absence of a U.S. government representative at the summit does not mean that some leaders and representatives from the country are not attending the meeting in Belém. One of them was Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who, at an event in the Spanish pavilion last Saturday, asserted that the Trump administration “is corrupted” by “the fossil fuel industry.” In his opinion, the Republican administration “is implementing an agenda that was bought and paid for by the fossil fuel industry,” he stated in remarks reported by the EFE news agency.

Another U.S. official who attended the conference in Belém was Gavin Newsom. “Trump is temporary, he is reckless, he is chaotic,” said the Democratic governor of California, whom some consider a possible candidate in the next U.S. presidential elections.

“People need to stand up. You need to stand up to a bully,” Newsom added, referring to the attitude being displayed in many international forums where environmental policies are discussed. And, in a way, the COP30 summit in Brazil will decide whether the majority of countries stand up to Trump and continue advancing the fight against climate change within the UN.

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