Which one of the following is the top ranking country in the World Economic Forum's 74th Global Energy Transition Index?

Correct — C, Sweden. Sweden headed the World Economic Forum's Energy Transition Index in its 2020 edition, as it had in the two editions before, with Switzerland second and Finland third. India was placed 74th of the 115 countries ranked, which is where the number printed in this stem comes from — it is India's rank, not an edition number, since the index has run only since the middle of the last decade.

• (a)China — China ranked far down the table. It leads the world in absolute deployment of renewable capacity, but the index scores the whole energy system and the readiness of the transition, and coal still dominates Chinese generation.
• (b)Switzerland — Switzerland was second in the 2020 edition, immediately behind Sweden.
• (d)India — India stood 74th with a score of 51.5 per cent. The index credited India with steady improvement over the preceding six years, which is a different claim from leading the table.

The Energy Transition Index scores countries on two things at once: how their current energy system performs on economic development, environmental sustainability and energy security, and how ready they are to make the transition, judged on investment, regulation, infrastructure, innovation and institutions. A country can score well on today's system and badly on readiness, or the reverse.

The stem as printed is awkward, and the awkwardness is worth naming. There is no seventy-fourth edition of this index; the report ranked 115 countries, India came 74th, and the number has been fused into the title. Answer to what the question is asking after — the top-ranked country — and Sweden is unambiguous. Small northern European economies dominate the top of the table because they combine high renewable or nuclear shares with strong institutions and stable regulation; France and the United Kingdom were the only Group of Twenty members inside the top ten in that edition.

• Sweden topped the World Economic Forum's Energy Transition Index in the 2020 edition, for the third year running.
• Switzerland was second and Finland third; France and the United Kingdom were the only G20 members in the top ten.
• India was ranked 74th among the 115 countries scored, with an index value of 51.5 per cent.
• The index combines current energy system performance with readiness for the transition.
• The report noted India as one of a small group of countries showing consistent improvement over the preceding six years.

• Reading the number in the stem as an edition number when it is a country rank.
• Assuming the largest deployer of renewable capacity must top the index; the index scores the whole system.
• Attributing this index to the World Bank or the International Energy Agency.

A ranking-and-publisher item. Examiners pair the two, so it is worth learning the publishing body alongside the leader of each index.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The Energy Transition Index is published by

  • (a)the World Bank
  • (b)the World Economic Forum
  • (c)the International Energy Agency
  • (d)the United Nations Environment Programme

  Answer(b) the World Economic Forum — the same body that publishes the Global Competitiveness Report and the Global Gender Gap Report.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  The annual meeting of the World Economic Forum is traditionally held at

  • (a)Geneva
  • (b)Davos
  • (c)Brussels
  • (d)Vienna

  Answer(b) Davos — a ski resort in eastern Switzerland.