The U.S. has to play some major catch-up in energy efficiency according to the first-ever International Energy Efficiency Scorecard, which ranked the U.S. as ninth out of 12 major economies. Meanwhile, the U.K., which has been working hard to green itself, took the top spot in the ranking.

The countries were scored across four groupings: national efforts, buildings, industry, transportation. It ranked 12 major economies. The full, final rankings are as follows:

1. U.K.
2. Germany
3. Italy
4. Japan
5. France
6. European Union, Australia, and China (3-way tie)
9. U.S.
10. Brazil
11. Canada
12. Russia

Source: American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE)

Chelsea (171 Posts)

Chelsea is a former newspaper reporter who has spent the past few years teaching English in Poland, Finland and Japan. When she wasn't teaching or writing, Chelsea was traveling Europe and Asia, sampling spicy street food along the way.