Aust trails OECD on climate change: report

Australia ranks in the middle among industrialised countries when it comes to environmental sustainability, but it is a poor performer on carbon emissions and combating climate change.

The Sustainable Development Goals: Are the rich countries ready? report has found most OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries are in danger of missing the UN-mandated targets, with Australia 18th out of the 34 OECD nations.

The report, released before the United Nations Global Sustainable Summit this month, measures the preparedness of OECD nations for the imposition of the UN's new sustainability development goals for 2030, a key means to combat climate change.

It says Australia is 33rd out of 34 on both greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide emissions.

The leading countries produce less than five tonnes of CO2 a person, while Australians each produce 17 tonnes of CO2.

Australia has the OECD's highest rates of domestic materials consumption (47 tonnes a person).

It is 30th in the OECD for domestic municipal waste output (647 kilograms a person) and on its efforts to combat climate change.

But the report says Australia is among the top-ranked nations for average life expectancy in full health (73 years), household space (2.4 rooms a person), clean air and the inclusively safety, resilience and sustainability of its cities and towns.

It also scores in the top five for sustainable use of its ocean and marine resources, although 15 per cent of its fish stocks are over-exploited.

Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Switzerland are the best performing countries, the report says.

Mexico is the lowest ranked nation, followed by Turkey, Hungary, Chile and Greece.

The report was prepared by the Bertelsmann Foundation, the non-profit foundation established by German media corporation Bertelsmann.