As nations prepare to compete on the global stage this summer, researchers at the University of Reading have created a different kind of scoreboard that shows where each country really stands on climate change.
The Real Scoreline compares countries using six climate indicators – including emissions, fossil fuel dependence, heat stress, projected warming and net-zero commitments – producing a single score out of 99 that reveals how nations compare beyond the traditional scoreboard.
Created with the University of Reading's world-leading climate and weather experts, the data is visualised through bespoke virtual playing cards, helping people engage with the planet's biggest problem through a format that is familiar, accessible and easy to explore.
Professor Hannah Cloke, Regius Professor in Meteorology and Climate Science at the University of Reading, said: "This summer's football may be remembered for more than just the goals. Extreme heat will affect how players perform on the pitch, and the millions of spectators making the trip will feel it too.
"Off the pitch, competing nations face no easy draws. Some countries are already paying the climate penalty, and there is little extra time left to act.
"Climate change is one of the defining challenges facing every country, but it can often feel distant or difficult to relate to. The Real Scoreline takes robust climate data and presents it in a way that is familiar to fans all over the world, inviting everyone to compare countries, debate rankings and engage with one of the most important issues facing all of us.
"If fans start talking about The Real Scoreline this summer, starting climate conversations in the pub, at home, wherever they are watching, that is a result worth having."
The Real Scoreline climate performance cards are available to download via rdg.ac.uk/planet . Each card is emblazoned with University of Reading climate stripes, a series of vertical coloured bars, showing the progressive heating of each country.
How The Real Scoreline works
All 48 nations are ranked against six climate indicators, each drawn from leading global datasets, including the World Bank Climate Change Knowledge Portal, Lancet Countdown, Our World in Data and Zero Tracker. The indicators are: Warming (projected temperature change); Precipitation (projected rainfall change); CO₂ emissions per person; Heat stress exposure; Fossil fuel dependence; and net-zero commitments.
Every competing nation is ranked against each other for each metric, and given a score from 1 to 99 based on where they fall in that ranking. The better a country performs on a given measure, the higher its score. The worse it performs, the lower its score. The resulting overall score provides a comparative snapshot of how countries are positioned across a range of climate-related factors.
The top-ranked and lowest-ranked teams are:
The top five
Paraguay (75) scores highest of all 48 nations, with low carbon emissions per person, stable projected rainfall and an ambitious net zero target of 2030
England (73) and Scotland (73) score identically, sharing climate data as part of the United Kingdom. Both score well for low heat stress and stable projected temperatures, though high fossil fuel dependency holds them back
New Zealand (72) benefits from relatively low projected warming and among the lowest heat stress of any competing nation, though its per-capita emissions remain a drag on its score
Austria (71) stands out for having one of the most stable projected rainfall patterns of any competing nation and a net-zero target of 2040, earlier than most
The bottom five
Iran (33) faces severe projected warming and is almost entirely dependent on fossil fuels, which account for 98% of its energy
Iraq (30) shares similarly stark figures, with near-total fossil fuel dependency and among the most severe projected warming and rainfall disruption in the tournament
USA (26) produces over 14 tonnes of carbon emissions per person and is the only competing nation with no net-zero target at all
Qatar (24) has the highest carbon emissions per person of any nation in the tournament at 40 tonnes, more than double its nearest rival, and is almost entirely fossil fuel dependent
Saudi Arabia (7) scores lowest of all 48 nations, combining the most severe projected warming, the highest fossil fuel dependency and a net zero target not until 2060
What to expect and how to get involved
Climate profiles will be used throughout the summer to create head-to-head national comparisons, allowing audiences to explore "the score behind the score" and understand the factors influencing each country's overall rating.
As the football gets underway, The Real Scoreline will support a series of public-facing activities throughout June and July, including expert commentary, digital content and engagement linked to major moments in a summer of international sport.
