The NRTEE Low-Carbon Performance Index

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The NRTEE?s Low-Carbon Performance Index measures and compares not just progress but capacity for achieving low-carbon competitiveness.

The LCPI is built around five categories with 15 individual indicators. Each category comprises three indicators and represents a core foundation for benchmarking low-carbon performance and capacity to achieve goals and outcomes essential for a successful low-carbon transition. Importantly, while the 15 indicators themselves are uniquely focused on low-carbon performance, several of the categories themselves are well-understood and accepted aspects of any country?s general economic performance and competitiveness.

// Emissions and Energy Category

Carbon Productivity Indicator

CARBON PRODUCTIVITY is a measurement of the level of economic activity or GDP per CO₂ equivalent emissions. It is an indicator of how productive a country?s economy is in producing low-carbon GDP. (more...)

Carbon Emissions Embodied in Exports Indicator

CARBON EMISSIONS EMBODIED IN EXPORTS refers to carbon dioxide emitted at all stages of a good?s manufacturing process, from the mining of raw materials through the distribution process, to the final product provided to the consumer. Embodied carbon in exports is the amount of carbon emissions contained in a country?s exports. It is a measure of a country?s reliance on emissions associated with the export of natural resources and energy-intensive products.(more...)

Share of Low-Carbon Electricity Indicator

SHARE OF LOW-CARBON ELECTRICITY is a measure of a country?s low-carbon electricity generation mix. It is an indicator of its ability to produce energy from sources that produce fewer emissions than fossil-fuel-based generation. It is the sum of electricity generated by solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydroelectric, and nuclear divided by total net electricity generated. (more...)

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// Innovation Category

Low-Carbon Energy Patents Indicator

LOW-CARBON ENERGY PATENTS per million people is an indicator of new technology development for low-emissions energy production. It is the gross number of patent applications filed under the Patent Cooperation Treaty related to renewable energy, fuel cells, and nuclear divided by population. (more...)

Energy Sector Expenditure on R&D Indicator

ENERGY SECTOR EXPENDITURE ON R&D per GDP measures how much the private energy sector is spending on research and development as a percentage of GDP. It indicates both the intensity and capacity of that country?s private energy sector in investing in new energy innovation and technologies. The energy sectors include emissions-intensive oil and gas and coal sectors. (more...)

Government Expenditure on Low-Carbon Energy R&D Indicator

GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURE ON LOW-CARBON ENERGY R&D addresses the need for public sector support for encouraging innovation in energy technologies in general and low-carbon technologies in particular. Government support of fundamental research is an important indicator of a nation?s leadership in basic technology research and in driving productivity improvements. (more...)

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// Skills Category

Number of Sustainability MBA Programs Indicator

NUMBER OF SUSTAINABILITY MBA PROGRAMS represents a proxy for the production of skilled managers adept at understanding business needs through the lens of sustainable development, ensuring their firms prosper and grow as part of a low-carbon economic transition. This indicator uses data generated by the Aspen Institute and normalizes it by population. (more...)

Share of Low-Carbon Technical Graduates Indicator

SHARE OF LOW-CARBON TECHNICAL GRADUATES is a measure of the technical profile of university graduates within a nation?s post-secondary institutions, and thus a gauge for its ability to meet the low-carbon skills needs of the future. It is defined as the total number of university and college graduates from the disciplines of science, engineering, manufacturing, and construction divided by the total number of graduates. (more...)

Post-Secondary Education Spending Per Student as a Share of GDP per Capita Indicator

POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION SPENDING PER STUDENT AS A SHARE OF GDP PER CAPITA is a leading indicator of a nation?s ability to generate economic growth through human capital. It is an indicator of general application (not focused specifically on low-carbon) but provides an indication of a nation?s propensity to invest in higher education and to develop higher levels of skills that will be important in a low-carbon future. (more...)

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// Investment Category

Clean Technology Initial Public Offering (IPO) by Millions of US$ Indicator

CLEAN TECHNOLOGY INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING (IPO) BY MILLIONS OF US$ is a measure of the market attractiveness of clean technology companies and their ability to raise funding through equity markets. It is defined as the average IPO value for cleantech firms. This measure relates to IPOs within a particular country, and does not necessarily mean that the issuing companies are from that nation. (more...)

Clean Technology Venture Capital Indicator

CLEAN TECHNOLOGY VENTURE CAPITAL spending measures total venture capital spending dedicated to clean technology, represented as a share of GDP. It is an important measure of the strength of a country?s cleantech sector and ability to accelerate growth of early stage technologies. (more...)

Low-Carbon Stimulus Spending Indicator

LOW-CARBON STIMULUS SPENDING is an indicator of a country?s investments in positioning for both a low-carbon economic recovery and long-term low-carbon transition. It is defined as the percentage allocation of total announced economic stimulus spending in the period starting 2009 by all levels of government directed to low-carbon power initiatives, including renewables; CCS; energy efficiency in buildings and vehicles; and rail and grid upgrades. (more...)

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// Policy and Institutions Category

Presence of a Low-Carbon Growth Plan Indicator

PRESENCE OF A LOW-CARBON GROWTH PLAN, OR LCGP, in a country is an indicator of national leadership in developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy for a low-carbon economic, environmental, and social transition. (more...)

GHG Targets and Accountability Indicator

GHG TARGETS AND ACCOUNTABILITY is a four-level indicator. It is aggregated to assess on a yes/no basis the presence of (1) medium-term GHG targets, (2) a central independent body to measure GHG progress and performance, (3) a public reporting role for the central independent body, and (4) mandatory peer-review of GHG-emission forecasting and measurement. (more...)

Carbon Price Coverage and Stringency Indicator

CARBON PRICE COVERAGE AND STRINGENCY measures a country?s use of policy to impose a price on GHG emissions in order to incent emissions reductions. The two most important characteristics of a carbon pricing policy are (1) the stringency of the policy as reflected by the price (a greater price incentive leads to greater reductions) and (2) the coverage of the policy as refl ected by how broadly emissions in a country are priced (the broader the coverage, the more emissions reductions will be incented throughout the economy). This indicator considers both of these factors. It represents the maximum carbon price imposed by a policy as a weighted average according to the emissions covered under the pricing policy as a share of total emissions. (more...)

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