The effects of climate change are impacting us all. Rising temperatures and sea levels, increased air pollution, and droughts threatening food scarcity and water access are all consequences of emissions released mostly since the start of the Industrial Revolution.
Despite every country facing the effects of climate change to an extent, there are nations that will be and are being disproportionately affected by climate change.
And conversely, there are nations that are much better equipped to deal with climate change, which we’re looking at here in this article.
We’ll be covering how these countries are resilient to climate change, looking at their climate policies, geography, how self-sufficient they are, and what disaster response systems they have in place.
Key Points:
Wealthier nations are typically better equipped to survive climate change.
Geography plays a huge part in a country’s ability to withstand the effects of climate change.
Building renewable energy infrastructure is essential to a country’s climate change resilience.
Climate mitigation policies are much more prevalent in the countries best placed to withstand climate change.
Overall, the whole world needs to come together to avoid climate catastrophe, as the impact of an individual country won’t be enough to offset the worst effects of climate change.
Which countries are most likely to survive climate change?
To assess which countries are best prepared for climate change, we used data from the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative. Its ND-Gain Index measures the vulnerability and ability of a country to adapt to climate change, using more than 40 indicators to measure this.
For example, a country’s vulnerability score will be assessed by its ability to mitigate the impact on food supply, water, health, ecosystem services, human habitat, and infrastructure.
Using the data from the ND-Gain Index, here’s our list of the countries most likely to survive climate change:
Norway
Finland
Switzerland
Denmark
Singapore
United Kingdom
We’ve covered why each country made it into the top 6 below, ranking them based not only on their ND-Gain Index scores, but also:
How each country’s geography affects their climate resilience
Their renewable energy infrastructure
Disaster response systems
How self sufficient each nation is
Norway
ND-Gain Index score: 74.7
Annual CO2 emissions: 38.9 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 45.62 million tonnes (2010)
Norway has long been recognised as having some of the most robust climate action policies on the planet, which is among one of several reasons the country has topped this list.
For starters, the Norwegian government has committed to being carbon neutral by 2030, a full twenty years before the United Kingdom is expected to be. And by 2050, the country is aiming to reach low-carbon status, which it defines as reducing emissions by at least 90–95% compared to 1990 levels.
However, Norway is still profiting enormously from its vast fossil fuel reserves — in 2023, the country exported 109.1 billion cubic meters (bcm) of natural gas and around 93 million tonnes of petroleum.
Geography
Norway has a complex coastline, lengthy mountain chains, and gigantic glaciers in the regions further north (including the archipelago of Svalbard). Its coastline in particular is expected to be affected by rising sea levels caused by climate change, so this area has been in sharp focus by the Norwegian government. A recent report suggests Norway is transitioning “from a country with on average falling or stable relative sea level, to one with rising relative sea levels.”
In a scenario with low emissions, sea levels along the Norwegian coast could rise by 0.13m to 0.41 — this might not sound like a lot, but even a small increase to the average sea level can cause devastation for coastal communities.
The report also includes a worst-case scenario where very high emissions at first lead to sea level rises of between 0.46m and 0.79m. Then, as increased global temperatures cause rapid melting of ice sheets, the sea levels rise by 1m to 1.5m by the year 2100. It gets scary by 2150, where mass melting of Antarctica causes Norway’s coastline to experience sea level rises of up to 5m.
Basically, Norway has one of the world’s longest coastlines (62,706 miles total, including islands), so figuring out how to deal with sea levels rising due to climate change is a high priority.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
Norway already has incredible renewable energy infrastructure, being Europe’s largest producer of hydropower with an installed capacity of 33.9 gigawatts (GW). And in 2023, the Norwegian government announced its ambitions for developing offshore wind — it’d recently allocated around 30 GW for offshore wind farms, with plans to increase this after 2025.
Self Sufficiency
Norway is considered a model of moderate self sufficiency when it comes to food, according to the World Population Review website. It came third place in its Global Food Security Index (GFSI) with a score of 80.5.
People in Norway have reliable access to domestic food, though like most countries around the world, food imports still make up a sizable share. But as the effects of climate change become more profound, Norway’s robust domestic food infrastructure means it’ll be better placed to manage the effects than most other nations.
Disaster Response
Norway has put in place laws regarding natural disaster prevention, placing emphasis on how local municipalities can prevent and respond. One law, the Planning and Building Act, defines what areas of Norway are most at risk of landslides and floods, and provides guidance on how to deal with sea level rises and storm surges in local building planning.
Finland
ND-Gain Index Score: 72.9
Annual CO2 emissions: 31.62 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 72.66 million tonnes (2003)
For years Finland has been recognised as a leading nation when it comes to robust climate resilience policies, and the country benefits from fewer extreme weather events than most other European nations.
That being said, it’s still not immune from the effects of an unstable climate, which is why the Fins have been on the ball with their approach to climate change.
They were the first country in Europe to announce a National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (NAS), for example. Finland also plans to be carbon neutral without carbon credits by 2035 (carbon credits are basically purchasable permission slips for emissions).
Geography
Finland is a country of many forests, lakes, and coastal towns — all of which potentially face the impact of climate change.
The forests, for example, have been shrinking in recent years due to an increased demand for fuel for biomass boilers. There’s been several rainfall records broken over the last decade too, due to global average temperatures increasing.
Where Finland’s geography helps with climate resilience however, is in the country’s naturally high land uplift. Basically, in the event climate change causes sea levels to rise around the world, Finland won’t really be affected.
In a worst-case scenario, Finland’s capital Helsinki will see sea level rises of just over half a metre. Compare that to Bangladesh, which faces potentially catastrophic impacts from sea level rises. Experts predict that by 2050, 17% of the country could be submerged and around 20 million people displaced as a result.
Finland isn’t impervious to sea level rises, however. If sea levels continue to rise and contribute to mass melting of glaciers and ice sheets, then Finland will still be affected.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
If you want a shining example of how to power a country using renewable energy, Finland is definitely it. A whopping 92.2% of its energy comes from low-carbon or clean sources as of December 2024, which is a big leap over the UK, which managed a record 51.6% in 2023.
And despite its northern location, Finland is investing heavily in solar panels. You might think, what’s the point of solar energy in a country with an average of 175–225 days of snow a year? Well, solar panels actually work more efficiently in colder weather. When solar panels reach 25°C, their efficiency starts to decrease, so when the sun does shine in Finland, solar systems will work effectively.
Solar panels will continue to work even when the sun isn’t shining, albeit less so (they’re around 23.5% less effective under light cloud cover, and 66% less effective when cloud cover is heavy).
Finland is also investing around €4 billion towards its national grid to better prepare it for increased renewable energy sources. Grids can sometimes struggle with the intermittent nature of renewable energy, so it's important to make it robust enough to deal with sudden surges (like when the wind blows stronger than normal, meaning wind turbines generate a surge of power).
Self Sufficiency
Finland came top on the GFSI, scoring 83.7 because of its high level of self sufficiency in food production. Most basic foodstuffs are covered domestically, with demand for certain meats (pork and poultry) completely supplied by Finnish farmers.
Where Finland falters a little is in its imports of plant-based foods, because of the country’s long winters and subsequently shorter growing seasons, and imported materials essential for food production. Finland might have high domestic food production, but this is still reliant on imports of fuel for agricultural vehicles and plastic to wrap hay bales.
Disaster Response
Finland created a disaster law in 2011 called the Valmiuslaki (Emergency Preparedness Law), and it was designed to help the country prepare for emergencies (climate-related or otherwise). The law also contains guidance on cross-border cooperation in case of fires, floods, or other natural disasters.
Switzerland
ND-Gain Index Score: 72.1
Annual CO2 emissions: 32.74 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 46.20 million tonnes (1973)
Switzerland comes in third place, thanks to its historically high adoption of clean energy sources and commitment to reducing air pollution. The country has also committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, which is a legally binding agreement.
Not quite as impressive as Norway and Finland’s commitments, but still a step in the right direction.
It’s needed after all, as Switzerland’s average temperatures are rising two to three times faster than the global average. This’ll lead to increased frequencies of heatwaves, particularly in the more southern parts of the country, and higher precipitation in the winter months. More rain will mean greater chances of flooding.
Switzerland aims to tackle the worst effects of climate change through its extensive climate policies, which include the highest carbon tax in Europe. Basically, a carbon tax is a levy paid on carbon emissions and in Switzerland, industries pay CHF 120 (£106) for each tonne of CO2 emitted.
Geography
Switzerland is probably best known for the Alps mountain range, which makes up roughly 58% of the country. These snow-capped peaks face the risk of severe melting if Switzerland’s temperatures continue to rise.
What could happen is that excess meltwater from mountain tops and glaciers could lead to lakes and rivers swelling, potentially leading to devastating floods.
Switzerland has worked to mitigate this by building flood defences around vulnerable communities, including automated flood barriers that are pneumatically controlled.
Where Switzerland won’t be directly affected is in sea level rises, as the country is landlocked. However, rising global temperatures will still lead to dryer summers with less rain, which will impact agriculture.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
Renewable energy sources accounted for around 64% of Switzerland’s electricity generation, one of the highest figures in the EU. Most of this comes from hydropower (60% or so), with the remaining 40% made up of burning biomass, wind power, and generating energy from solar panels.
Self Sufficiency
Switzerland came 11th in the GFSI with a score of 78.2 — still impressive despite not being in the top 10. The country’s high percentage of domestic animal products (around 95%) gives it resilience in the face of climate-induced supply chain interruptions, but Switzerland still relies on imports for other food products.
However, many of these imports typically come from other low-vulnerability countries such as Germany, so the chance of climate change drastically altering what Switzerland can import is low.
Disaster Response
Switzerland has in place several robust disaster management frameworks that’ll help the country cope in the face of natural events such as rock slides, flooding, and droughts, and countering pests that could damage forests.
Where Switzerland currently lacks is in protecting its hydropower, as currently there is no strategy in place to deal with any climate-related impact to it.
Denmark
ND-Gain Index Score: 71.1
Annual CO2 emissions: 27.26 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 74.89 million tonnes (1996)
Denmark’s approach to climate change has been impressive to say the least. In 2022, the Danish government announced it was aiming to reach net zero by 2045, instead of the previous target of 2050.
And the country introduced the world’s first tax on livestock emissions, which make up a disproportionate amount of global emissions. From 2030, Danish farms will pay around DKK 120 (about £13) per tonne of CO2-equivalent (CO2e) emitted.
Denmark is also a part of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, an international initiative that works towards phasing out oil and gas.
Geography
As a country of many islands and peninsulas, Denmark is likely to be affected by sea level rises. On top of that, is the threat presented by increased rainfall, which can lead to greater storm surges and flooding, as it saw in 2011 when huge volumes of precipitation lead to flooding and around £658 million of damage in Copenhagen.
Denmark is combating this by building dykes and flood prevention barriers. As of 2024, Denmark has committed around £143 million towards initiatives designed to secure and safeguard Danish coasts and communities from rising sea and groundwater levels.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
Denmark has always been a bit of a pioneer when it comes to renewable energy, having been shocked into action in the 1970s when skyrocketing oil prices almost stalled its entire economy.
Since then, Denmark has built thousands of wind turbines, taking inspiration from Danish scientist Poul La Cour, who was already experimenting with generating electricity from wind turbines in the late 1800s.
Denmark is a famously windy country, which makes it perfect for wind power and as of 2024, the country has a total wind power capacity of 7,026 megawatts (MW). This immense amount of wind power is enough to provide 55% of Denmark’s entire electricity needs, a larger share than any other country in the world.
Self Sufficiency
Denmark is 13th in the GFSI, scoring 77.8, and in fact is the only country in the Nordic-Baltic region that is a net exporter of agricultural goods.
The country falls in its domestic production of plant-based foods, however, but this is mostly down to the colder weather. Vegetables can, of course, grow in Denmark, but an increased demand for soybean-based products (as more people move away from meat-based diets) means more imports, because soybeans don’t grow as well in colder climates.
Disaster Response
Denmark has the Danish Emergency Management Act (DEMA) in place to deal with natural disasters and catastrophes. If a climate change-induced accident were to happen, such as a forest fire or flood, Denmark would already have plans in place to deal with it.
In fact, every four years, the authorities must submit revised and refreshed plans to DEMA to prove that they’re ready to manage any natural disasters that could occur.
Denmark also encourages its citizens to always be ready to care for themselves for a three-day period, so that authorities can focus on stabilising whatever the situation may be.
Singapore
ND-Gain Index Score: 71.1
Annual CO2 emissions: 49.25 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 60.09 million tonnes (1994)
Singapore has been a leading nation in Asia when it comes to developing climate resilience. The country recognised the potential impact of climate change many decades ago, setting up several institutions to research the effects — both on Singapore itself and globally.
The Singapore Green Plan 2030, which launched in February 2021, was created to guide the whole of Singapore towards a sustainable future. Its main aims are to:
Plant a million more trees
Quadruple solar development by 2025
Reduce landfill waste by 30%
Have all newly registered cars be cleaner-energy models by 2030
Singapore also aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with most other countries that signed the Paris Agreement.
Geography
Singapore is a low-lying city state that is particularly susceptible to the effects of climate change, so how the country adapts to rising sea levels is critical to its climate resilience.
To combat this, it’s investing roughly $1 billion (£785 million) towards drainage infrastructure enhancements and flood defences. Singapore’s water supply relies heavily on desalination, so a deluge of sea water would make this process far more difficult.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
Singapore isn’t blessed with abundant renewable energy sources, as neither wind nor hydro power are viable options. However, solar in Singapore has huge potential thanks to the higher-than-average sunlight irradiation (1,580 kWh/m2), so the government is investing in developing around two gigawatts (GW) of solar energy by 2030. This’ll provide electricity for around 350,000 households a year (roughly 25% of all households in Singapore).
Singapore loses some points overall however, as even with substantial solar power infrastructure, the country will still be heavily reliant on imported energy.
Self Sufficiency
Singapore is 28th in the GFSI with a score of 73.1, which has increased in recent years due to commitments made by the government to reduce the country’s reliance on imports. In 2019, Singapore announced that it would produce 30% of its nutritional needs locally. It’s doing this by developing local agriculture and “agri-tech” — technology that makes domestic farms more efficient.
An interesting example of this agri-tech are the AI-powered floating fish farms, which uses machine-learning technology to track the health of the fish and their growth rates.
The switch to more locally produced food is definitely needed as Singapore currently imports around 90% of its food from some 170 countries. If the effects of climate change severely disrupt global supply chains, Singapore will struggle without drastic improvements to its food security.
Disaster Response
Singapore’s location makes it largely immune to the natural disasters common in other parts of Asia — typhoons, earthquakes, tsunamis, for example.
Regardless, the country still has a disaster response framework in place that allows rapid mobilisation of essential services in case of a natural catastrophe. Called the Home front Crisis Management System (HCMS), it allows affected areas in Singapore to request the aid of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for help with debris removal, rescue operations, and fire-fighting services.
United Kingdom
ND-Gain Index Score: 70.3
Annual CO2 emissions: 305.15 million tonnes (2023)
Peak CO2 emissions: 660.39 million tonnes (1971)
The United Kingdom might be one of the most nature-depleted countries on the planet, but it is playing a leading role in combating climate change. It was the first country to create a legally binding framework to reduce emissions, which set the benchmark for other countries to follow.
And in 2019, the UK became the first major economy to pass into law a domestic requirement for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
At COP29, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK plans to slash 81% of emissions by 2035 — an ambitious target considering the UK’s current emissions (see above), but an admirable one for sure.
Starmer also announced plans to boost the UK’s climate finance by £11.6 billion until March 2026.
The UK is definitely putting its money where its mouth is — as of 2024, annual greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have halved since 1990.
Geography
As an island nation, the UK is more susceptible to sea level rises caused by warming oceans and melting ice caps. In fact, since 1990, mean sea levels around the UK have risen by 12–16cm.
It’s predicted that if global temperatures go even a fraction beyond the expected rise of 1.5°C, parts of London could be underwater within a few decades.
Increases in precipitation are leading to more flooding in the UK too, which is why the UK government is spending a record £5.2 billion between 2021 and 2027 on flood defences.
On the flipside, rising global temperatures is also leading to higher risks of droughts, which the UK has already experienced more of in recent years.
To counter both flooding and droughts, the UK government has announced a research project funded to the tune of £38 million. Both the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) have been tasked with finding a better way to predict both weather events.
Renewable Energy Infrastructure
If you live in the UK, you’re probably aware that it gets pretty windy here, which is why wind power has become the renewable energy source of choice. As of December 2024, the UK has a wind power capacity of 30GW.
Honestly, this is an enormous amount of power — enough to provide electricity to nearly 25 million households. It’s great for the UK’s CO2 emissions too, as this amount of wind power will remove 35 million tonnes each year.
Solar power is also playing a big part in the UK’s renewable energy strategy, despite the country’s (deserved) reputation for gloomy weather. Several large-scale solar farms already exist in the UK, and there are many more expected to be built in the coming years as well.
Domestically, solar panels are a big hit — there are roughly 1.5 million solar panel installations on roofs across the country. Combined with commercial solar installations, the UK’s total solar energy capacity is 17GW.
Self Sufficiency
The UK came ninth in the GFSI, scoring 78.8. This is mostly down to the country’s ability to produce most of its nutritional needs domestically — despite roughly 40% of food eaten in the UK being imported.
Part of this is due to consumer demand, which can be a hard attitude to change. For example, the UK is more than capable of growing apples year-round, but chooses instead to import vast quantities of apples from New Zealand because of taste preferences.
And for poultry — the UK could be self-sufficient here but because most people prefer white to dark meat, chicken breasts have to be imported to meet demand.
Where the UK gains points for climate resilience, is in the fact that as temperatures rise, it’ll generally be easier for farmers to grow crops, because growing seasons will be longer.
Disaster Response
The UK has seen an increase in extreme weather events over the last decade or so, prompting a discussion on exactly how prepared the country is to deal with natural disasters. Sure, the UK might not be at risk from things like earthquakes or tsunamis, but dryer summers have increased the risk of wildfires, which pose a huge danger to humans and wildlife.
To deal with this, the UK government has been investing millions in wildfire research. There have also been calls to upgrade the UK’s firefighting equipment, which is seen to be outdated and not fit to fight large-scale wildfires.
Help Build Climate Resilience With Solar Panels
Solar panels are one of the best tools we have to shrink carbon emissions, but they’ll shrink your energy bills too. And great news, we install them! Here’s why you should get solar panels installed with us:
Thousands of Happy Customers: We boast an average score of 4.9 on Trustpilot, outperforming the market leader.
Which? Trusted Trader: Heatable is proudly recognised as a Which? Trusted Trader.
Tesla Certified Installer: Heatable is proudly certified and approved by Tesla to install the Powerwall.
MCS Accredited: Our accreditation by the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) ensures high-quality standards.
Consumer Protection: As members of the HIES consumer code, we provide 2-year deposit protection.
Flexible Payment Options: Choose from multiple payment methods, including finance options.
Fixed Price Guarantee: Enjoy transparency with no hidden costs.
Save Your Quote: You can save your quote and decide later.
Bespoke Battery Quote Tool: Find out which battery is ideal for your home, here.
