Transparency International: Corruption is a climate problem
Several countries, including Germany, have received their lowest scores on the global watchdog's "Corruption Perceptions Index."
A silhouetted man pulls a wad of US bills from his suit pocket
Corruption is threatening global efforts to combat climate change, corruption watchdog Transparency International warned in a report published on Tuesday.
"Corruption hinders effective climate action by preventing the adoption of ambitious policies," the watchdog said in a statement.
Transparency International's 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index shows that many countries, whether they are facing rising temperatures or hosting UN climate summits, have lower scores than before.
For example, Brazil, which is hosting this year's COP30 climate talks, scored 34 points, its lowest ever, indicating a higher level of corruption.
Forest fire in Brazil Forest fire in Brazil
"Corrupt forces not only shape but often dictate policies and dismantle checks and balances," said Maira Martini, CEO of Transparency International. Germany is lagging behind
Germany has been lagging behind in the fight against corruption. In this year's ranking of corruption perceptions, Germany has fallen to 15th place out of 180 countries surveyed. In the previous survey, Germany was ranked 12th. The lack of transparency in the financing of political parties is cited as the main problem.
At the presentation of the report in Berlin, Alexandra Herzog, the president of Transparency Deutschland, pointed the finger at the far-right populist party Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the new populist alliance Sahra Wagenknecht (BSW) and their large donations, some of them from abroad. She cited as an example the donation of one million euros by an Austrian businessman to the AfD. According to Herzog, this has jeopardized fair political competition and damaged citizens' trust in democracy ahead of Germany's general elections on February 23.
"These countries have the greatest responsibility to lead towards ambitious climate goals, reduce emissions at scale and build resilience worldwide," according to Transparency International.
What are the causes of corruption?
The annual report gives countries with a higher risk of public sector corruption a lower score on a scale of zero to 100. According to the 2024 ranking, 85% of the world's population lives in countries with a score below 50.
The countries that received the lowest scores are mostly involved in conflicts, such as Sudan, Venezuela, Somalia, Syria, Eritrea and Yemen. South Sudan fell to the bottom of the list, while Denmark was the highest.
The report also found that 47 of the 180 countries surveyed had their lowest scores since the watchdog began using its current methodology for its global rankings in 2012. These countries include Germany, Austria, Brazil, France, Haiti and Hungary. Over the past five years, several countries, including Kosovo, the Maldives, and Kuwait, have significantly improved their corruption scores.