The Philippines retained its spot among the world’s top climate performers, landing 7th out of 67 countries and the EU in the 2025 Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) released Wednesday by Germanwatch, NewClimate Institute, and Climate Action Network.

With a score of 68.41, the country slipped one notch from last year but stayed firmly in the “high” category — driven by very low per-capita emissions and the world’s only “very high” rating in Energy Use efficiency.

However, a glaring weakness pulled the overall score down: the Philippines ranked a disappointing 32nd in Renewable Energy share and development, earning only a “low” mark — worse than Vietnam (22nd), Morocco (8th), and even coal-heavy India (10th overall).

Energy stakeholders described the renewables gap as a wake-up call ahead of the country’s updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) due in February 2025.

The CCPI stressed that global emissions must peak by 2025 and be halved by 2030 from 2020 levels to keep 1.5°C within reach, urging countries to triple renewable energy capacity and double energy efficiency by 2030 while phasing out fossil fuels.

Despite posting the third-best Energy Use performance globally, the Philippines risks losing its high ranking if renewable energy deployment does not accelerate dramatically, the report warned.

Among Southeast Asian peers, Thailand placed 24th, Indonesia 42nd, Malaysia 48th, and Vietnam — despite rapid emissions growth — climbed to 21st on stronger renewable energy policies.

The index covers 63 countries plus the EU, representing over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions.

How should the Philippine energy sector respond to this “low” renewable energy rating while capitalizing on its world-leading energy efficiency? Drop your thoughts below — developers, regulators, investors, and advocates, this is your cue to speak up.

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