Which country is leading the EU's fight against climate change?

Which country is leading the EU's fight against climate change?
By Chris Harris
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Campaigners have ranked EU countries' progress on tackling climate change. Who do you think are the best and worst?

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The traditional axis of European countries most committed to tackling climate change is now turning away from the fight, it’s been suggested.

A new report claims Belgium, the UK, Germany and Denmark are not being ambitious enough to meet commitments made to counter global warming.

Denmark and the UK are not being ambitious enough on pushing for targets to tackle climate change, with the latter affected by the uncertainty surrounding how much longer it’s going to be involved in the EU, according to a dossier compiled by campaigners Climate Action Network (CAN).

Germany and Belgium, it adds, are on course to miss 2020 targets for reducing harmful emissions.

“It’s becoming very clear these days that Germany has gone from being world champion in climate change to a third division team,” said Hermann Ott, from the German League for Nature, Animal Protection and Environment, a member of CAN.

“Germany has to urgently step up both its climate ambition and the national measures underpinning the targets.”

CAN’s report included a ranking that assesses EU countries’ efforts at meeting climate change targets and the extent to which they push for more ambitious policy to tackle the problem.

It said Estonia, Ireland and Poland ranked lowest because of their “stiff opposition to climate action”.

Sweden, Portugal, France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg came out highest in CAN’s ranking.

EU states have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by 2020, as well as improving energy efficiency and producing at least a fifth of their energy from renewable sources.

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