Corruption is threatening global efforts to tackle , the graft monitor warned in a report publish on Tuesday.
“Corruption is obstructing effective climate action by hindering the adoption of ambitious policies,” a statement from the watchdog said.
Transparency International’s for 2024 shows that many countries, whether they are dealing with rising temperatures or , have poorer scores than before.
For example, , which hosts this year’s COP30 climate talks, scored 34, its lowest-ever rating — signifying a higher corruption level.
“Corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances,” Transparency International CEO Maira Martini said.
, which was the host of last year’s UN climate talks, scored just 22.
Many wealthier countries that have previously taken a leading role in climate talks, including , the United States and New Zealand, also saw their performance slide.
“These nations hold the greatest responsibility to lead on ambitious climate goals, reduce emissions at scale and build resilience worldwide,” according to Transparency International.
How did other countries rank on the index?
The annual report gives nations with a higher perceived risk of public sector corruption a lower score on a scale from zero to 100.
According to the 2024 rankings, 85% of the global population is living in countries that scored under 50.
The countries that received the lowest scores are largely gripped by conflict, such as Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Eritrea and Yemen. South Sudan slid to the bottom of the list, while Denmark had the best ranking.
The report also found that 47 of the 180 surveyed countries had their lowest score since the watchdog started using its current methodology for its global ranking in 2012. Those countries included , Austria, Brazil, France, Haiti and Hungary.
Over the past five years, some countries, including Kosovo, Maldives and Kuwait, have improved their corruption scores significantly.
Edited by: Natalie Muller
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