“Ethical Markets welcomes this updated German Watch index monitoring 57 countries and the EU, responsible for 90% of global GHG emissions, shift to renewables, overall energy use and Climate change policies. It finds the USA and other wealthiest countries still not pulling their weight. Progress is slow also in expanding GDP to include science-based indicators of health, education and environment. Since 2007, the Beyond GDP Conference in the EU Parliament www.beyond-gdp.eu, as measured by our 12 country surveys with GlobeScan in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2020 still finding large majorities favoring these reforms to GDP. The citizens still ahead of economists and politicians! The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators were launched at the US National Press Club in 2000, still widely ignored by mainstream media editors and financial news!
Hazel Henderson, Editor “
Wealth: Ranked top 25 by gross domestic product (GDP).
Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI): The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI) is a scoring system designed by the German environmental and development organization German Watch, to enhance transparency in international climate politics. The Climate Change Performance Index was first published in 2005 and an updated version is presented at the UN Climate Change Conference annually. The 57 countries and the European Union (EU), are responsible for more than 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Some are attempting to do stuff, but collectively, it isn’t enough.
The CCPI index uses standardized criteria to evaluate performance.
CCPI weighted criteria:
1. GHG Emissions (40% )
2. Renewable Energy (20%)
3. Energy Use (20% )
4. Climate Policy (20% ).
Overall, German Watch monitors 57 countries and the European Union (EU). I focused on the top 25 wealthiest countries; together they hold 90% of the worlds’ wealth. Like Willie Sutton, you go where the money is concentrated.
Sweden and Switzerland are punching above their GDP weight and the UK is doing well. If you use a GDP to CCPI comparison, all other countries are true laggards. Greenwashing is emerging as a World Sport, soon to replace what we call soccer.
GINI Index: A version of this index is in the November 2021 CIA Fact book and other sources. GINI measures inequality among values of a frequency distribution. In this case, the index evaluates levels of income distribution within a country. GINI does not measure wealth; only wealth distribution.
Using the GINI formula, a coefficient of zero would be total equality, where everyone would have the same income. A coefficient of 100 expresses maximal inequality, where one person has all the income and others have none. With the GINI index, the lower the number, the smaller the relative “income gap” in the country.
Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Members are highlighted in bold in the below Table. The OECD, headquartered in Paris, was established in 1961 to “shape policies to foster prosperity, equality, opportunity and well-being” for members. Of the 25 richest countries in the world, eight countries are not in the OECD: China, India, Brazil, Russia, Indonesia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Nigeria.
GDP– In $ Trillions. Numbers come from Investopedia. More current numbers may be available, but given the slow, if any, economic growth since the pandemic, I suspect these numbers are close.
Happiness Index: The World Happiness Report is a publication of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network. It contains rankings of national happiness, based on respondent ratings of their own lives, which is supplemented with some (quality of) life factors. This index only addresses how the natives feel about in a particular country. Outsiders may or may not be welcome.
As of March 2021, Finland has been ranked the happiest country in the world four times in a row. Finland does not make the 25 wealthiest list. The index also uses data from the Gallup World Poll. Each annual report is available to download on the World Happiness Report website. Wikipedia has a good description of the methodology used to compile the Report.
Here’s the Table, presumably the 25 “Most Wealthy” countries:
Richest Countries in the World
CCPI GINI $ Trillion HAPPINESS
Country INDEX INDEX GDP INDEX
1. United States* 61 41 21.43 18
2. China 30 39 14.34 94
3. Japan 51 33 5.08 62
4. Germany 23 32 3.86 17
5. India 9 36 2.87 144
6. United Kingdom 7 35 2.83 13
7. France 18 32 2.72 23
8. Italy 26 36 2.00 30
9. Brazil 21 54 1.84 32
10. Canada 55 33 1.74 11
11. Russia 52 38 1.70 73
12. South Korea 58 35 1.65 61
13. Australia 56 34 1.36 12
14. Spain 34 35 1.39 28
15. Mexico 32 37 1.27 24
16. Indonesia 39 38 1.12 84
17. Netherlands 29 29 0.91 6
18. Saudi Arabia 60 46 0.79 27
19. Turkey 48 42 0.76 93
20. Switzerland 16 33 0.70 3
21. Poland 50 30 0.60 43
22. Thailand 33 36 0.54 54
23. Sweden 4 29 0.53 7
24. Belgium 35 27 0.53 20
25. Nigeria 62 35 0.45 115
Average for top 25 36 36 2.92 44
GDP for top 25 73.01
World GDP (2020) 80.54
CCPI GINI Happiness
USA 61 41 18
Wealthy 25 Average 36 36 44
*OECD Members