The index that Greg Hunt used to defend Australia’s record on climate change has placed the country lower in its rankings, leaving only Saudi Arabia with a worse ranking among wealthy nations in some categories.

 

Yale’s environmental performance index ranks countries’ performance in protecting human health and ecosystems, and looks at nine areas including air quality, climate and energy, forests and water resources.

 

When Australia’s climate change policies were questioned in November, the environment minister relied on the index to defend its record. “The Yale environment performance index, the most credible, scientifically based, hard data-based analysis in the world, ranks Australia number three of 178 countries in terms of our environmental performance,” he told ABC’s 730.

 

The index’s report, released this week, shows Australia has dropped 10 places overall, leaving it at 13 out of 180 countries examined.

 

It performed worst in the climate and energy category. It was ranked 150th for its trend in carbon emissions each kilowatt hour, leaving only Saudi Arabia behind among wealthy nations. Overall in the climate and energy category, Australia was ranked 82nd.

 

While global CO2 emissions appear to have dropped in 2015 for the first time during a period of economic growth, Australia’s emissions have continued to grow.

 

Mark Butler, Labor’s spokesman on the environment, told Fairfax Media: “The Yale report states that over the last decade ‘nearly every country has improved it’s [index] score’ – every country, that is, except Australia … The Turnbull government is taking Australia backwards at a shocking pace.”

 

Hunt’s office has been contacted for comment. (The Guardian)