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2024 Corruption Perceptions Index: Countries on front line of climate crisis in Asia Pacific struggling to fight back corruption

Berlin, 11 February 2025 - Governments across the Asia Pacific (APAC) are failing to deliver on anti-corruption pledges, with devastating consequences for climate action, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released today by Transparency International. With an average score of 44 out of 100, the region is just one point above the global average of 43.

To withstand the existential threat of climate change, APAC countries, home to a third of the world’s population, desperately need climate finance support. However, corruption has left these funds vulnerable to misuse and theft.

In Bangladesh (CPI score: 23), one of the largest recipients of climate finance, research shows that desperately needed climate funds are vulnerable to embezzlement and can be lost to irregularities and corruption. Increased transparency and improved accountability are urgently needed to protect these vital funds for the benefit of the millions of people across Asia.

In contrast, financial centres in the region like Hong Kong (74) and Singapore (84) may not face the same level of direct embezzlement risks, but they are key hubs for managing offshore wealth, which can be linked to risks of corruption and money laundering. These financial centres offer mechanisms, such as banking laws and corporate structures (e.g., companies, trusts), that can make it more difficult to detect illicit funds, sometimes benefiting those seeking to hide or launder money.

Ilham Mohamed, Asia Pacific Adviser of Transparency International said:

“The green transition to a healthier, more sustainable Asia Pacific requires cooperation between government, businesses, civil society and ordinary citizens, and robust anti-corruption measures. However, conflicts of interest and undue influence have allowed lobbyists and wealthy elites to direct policy for their own gain, while climate funds have been diverted away from vital climate action.”

ASIA PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption on a scale of zero (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

  • The top scorers are Singapore (84), New Zealand (83) and Australia (77).
  • Afghanistan (17), Myanmar (16) and North Korea (15) have the lowest scores.

CORRUPTION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

  • In Indonesia (37), the energy sector is regularly threatened by corruption. The Rempang Eco City project has been undermined by a lack of transparency and conflicts of interest. It is alleged that the project’s ties with influential politically exposed persons and foreign corporations have prioritised financial profits over environmental protections. Elsewhere, in 2019, a politician from the country’s second-largest party was given a six-year sentence for accepting bribes in a corruption case related to a multi-million dollar coal-fired power plant project.
  • In Vietnam (40), 32 wind and solar energy projects were under investigation for abuse of power in 2024. A lack of civil society space for effective oversight and limited grievance systems – such as whistleblower protection – further threaten these programmes. Five environmental, land rights and civil rights activists, along with a prominent energy expert, have also been arrested since 2021 on alleged tax offences and document appropriation, highlighting a climate of repression that excludes meaningful civil society participation.
  • Small island states such as Papua New Guinea (31) and the Maldives (38) are heavily impacted by the climate crisis, a situation which is getting worse due to poor governance and weak integrity systems which are thwarting disaster recovery initiatives and climate mitigation policies.

Maíra Martini, Chief Executive Officer of Transparency International said:

“Urgent action is needed worldwide to root out corruption that undermines climate action through theft, misuse of funds, and undue influence. Governments and multilateral organisations must embed anti-corruption measures in climate efforts to protect funding and rebuild trust. Only by tackling corruption head-on can we unlock the full power of climate action and accelerate the fight for our planet’s future.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

The media page includes the CPI 2024 report, as well as the full dataset and methodology, international press release and additional analysis for the Asia Pacific in English. See here: CPI Media Page

INTERVIEW REQUESTS

In case of country-specific queries, please contact Transparency International’s national chapters. In case of queries about regional and global findings, please contact the Transparency International Secretariat at [email protected] or [email protected].

ABOUT THE CORRUPTION PERCEPTIONS INDEX

Since its inception in 1995, the Corruption Perceptions Index has become the leading global indicator of public sector corruption. The index scores 180 countries and territories around the world based on perceptions of public sector corruption, using data from 13 external sources, including the World Bank, World Economic Forum, private risk and consulting companies, think tanks and others. The scores reflect the views of experts and businesspeople, not the public.

The process for calculating the CPI is regularly reviewed to make sure it is as robust and coherent as possible, most recently by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre in 2017. All the CPI scores since 2012 are comparable from one year to the next. For more information, see this article: The ABCs of the CPI: How the Corruption Perceptions Index is calculated.