This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

Australia has become an "anti-climate" influence on international efforts to slow global warming after dropping close to the bottom of a ranking of the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters.

Australia's ranking on the climate change performance index fell from 51 to 57 out of 61, as the United Kingdom became the second highest ranked country behind Denmark.

The index, developed by thinktank Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe, was released on Monday at the start of the second week of the United Nations climate change negotiations in Warsaw, Poland.

The ranking combines five different areas covering the types and levels of emissions, renewable energy supply, trends in energy efficiency and climate policy.

The UK moved to second highest after emissions fell 15% and improvements were made in energy efficiency. Denmark led the ranking thanks to low levels of emissions and "exceptional" policies to keep emissions down.

Launching the report, Wendel Trio, director of CAN Europe, said: "We have now an Australian government that is more looking at the anti-climate policy development than in furthering the climate policy development of the previous government."

He cited Australia's attempts to repeal carbon price legislation and the change of government as the reason for its falling status.

"There are many signs where the Australian government shows it's not very keen on developing climate policy. I think it is evident at these talks. They are not sending any ministers so they're not giving it any importance."

He said Australia now had "no intention … to be in any way constructive" in Warsaw, and doubted the country would want to sign a new legally binding agreement which it is hoped will be developed in time for a key UN meeting in Paris in 2015.

Christoph Bals, policy director at Germanwatch, said between 2002 and 2011, the world's largest emitter China had been responsible for 80% of the rise in global annual emissions. But he said growth in renewable energy in China was currently outstripping growth in coal.

He said there was a possibility that sometime in the next decade, global emissions could plateau, but only if the world's countries could agree a "meaningful outcome" from climate change negotiations.

• This article was amended on 19 November 2013. The original said Christoph Bals was policy director at Greenwatch. This has been corrected.