Which countries are taking the lead in the low carbon economy ?

AccountAbility in association with the UNEP released their Climate Competitiveness Index 2010. This report analyses the progress of 95 countries accounting for similar shares of greenhouse gases emissions. To the CCI :

” (i)n spite of uncertainty surrounding international climate negotiations (…) One third of countries show promising gains in low carbon economic growth since Copenhagen climate accord.“

Change is indeed occuring, and occuring faster and faster as China, the United Kingdom, Spain and many other nations have fully understood that cleantech is the new arms race.

Here is a short extract of the presentation of the study :

The Climate Competitiveness Index (CCI) predicts that the global market for low carbon products and services will be in excess of US$2 trillion in 2020. However, to secure this market, countries need ambitious climate competitiveness strategies, as well as the institutional infrastructure to build markets and convince investors.

The CCI analysed 95 countries responsible for 97% of global economic activity and 96% of global carbon emissions. It concludes that despite gaps in performance and accountability, 46% of countries have demonstrated some improvement in climate accountability since the UNFCCC Copenhagen conference in December 2009.

Thirty two countries have made significant improvements, with Germany, China and Republic of Korea being the outstanding examples. India, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, the Philippines and Rwanda have also enhanced their climate accountability.

For more details on the study, please check out the executive summary or the slideshow.