Methodology

How we collect, process, and present climate data for European countries.

Overview

ClimateScore.eu tracks climate progress across EU 27 + UK + EFTA countries (31 countries total). We focus on metrics that are either legally regulated or frequently discussed in news media.

Our data is sourced from official government APIs and international organizations, ensuring accuracy and reliability. All data is updated monthly through automated processes.

Data Sources

Primary Sources

  • Eurostat: Official EU statistics on CO2 emissions, renewable energy, waste management, and more. Data is accessed via their public API.
  • International Energy Agency (IEA): Global energy data including CO2 emissions and renewable energy statistics.
  • European Environment Agency (EEA): Environmental data including air quality, biodiversity, and resource usage.

Secondary Sources

  • National Reports: Individual country climate reports and submissions to international agreements.
  • Climate Watch: World Resources Institute platform for climate data.

Metrics & Categories

Legally Regulated Metrics

These metrics are mandated by EU or national laws and regulations:

CO2 Emissions

Total and per capita CO2 emissions. Targets are set by EU Climate Law and national legislation.

Renewable Energy

Percentage of energy from renewable sources. Targets from EU Renewable Energy Directive (RED III).

Floor/Soil Sealing

Percentage of land area covered by artificial surfaces. Regulated by EU Soil Framework Directive.

News-Relevant Metrics

These metrics are frequently discussed in news media and public discourse:

Waste Generation & Recycling

Total waste generated and recycling rates. Important for circular economy discussions.

Resource Usage

Water, materials, and energy consumption. Key for sustainability assessments.

Air Quality

PM2.5 and NOx levels. Important for public health and environmental quality.

Biodiversity

Protected areas and species indices. Critical for ecosystem health monitoring.

Data Collection Process

Automated Fetching

Our serverless functions automatically fetch data from official APIs on a monthly schedule. This ensures our data is always up-to-date without manual intervention.

  • Eurostat API: Fetched on the 1st of each month
  • IEA API: Fetched on the 2nd of each month
  • EEA API: Fetched on the 3rd of each month

Data Processing

Raw data from APIs is cleaned, normalized, and consolidated into our standard format. This includes:

  • Unit conversion (e.g., tonnes to kilotonnes)
  • Data validation and error checking
  • Consolidation of multiple data points
  • Calculation of derived metrics (e.g., per capita values)

Quality Assurance

We implement several quality checks to ensure data accuracy:

  • Cross-validation between data sources
  • Range checking (values within expected bounds)
  • Temporal consistency (values change reasonably over time)
  • Manual review of outliers and anomalies

Update Schedule

Monthly Updates: All data is updated on the 1st of each month. The update process typically completes within 24 hours.

Last Update: 2026-08-26

Next Update: 2026-09-25

Current Version: 2.0

Limitations & Disclaimers

While we strive for accuracy, there are some limitations to be aware of:

  • Data may be delayed by 1-2 years for some metrics due to reporting lags from official sources.
  • Different countries may use slightly different methodologies for calculating certain metrics.
  • Some data points may be estimates or projections rather than actual measurements.
  • We cannot guarantee 100% accuracy and recommend verifying critical data with official sources.

Disclaimer: This data is provided for informational purposes only. We do not accept liability for any decisions made based on this data.

← Back to Home