In a study combining data sets on both climate accountability and climate performance, the United States trails only the United Kingdom.
The annual Climate Competitiveness Index judges major nations on their climate accountability (whether the climate strategy is clear, ambitious and supported by all stakeholders) and climate performance (whether the country has the track record and capabilities to deliver the strategy).
The index was produced by the non-profit institute AccountAbility, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The index accounts for 95 countries responsible for 97 percent of global economic activity and 96 percent of global carbon emissions.
Despite gaps in performance and accountability, 46 percent of nations have shown some improvement in climate accountability since the Copenhagen climate conference in December.
Germany, China and the Republic of Korea have made the most improvement, according to the index.
