By Stacy M. Brown
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The United States has fallen to its lowest ranking ever on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), Transparency International reported. The index comes as President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting the enforcement of a long-standing anti-bribery law. The law, in place for nearly five decades, prohibits U.S. businesses from bribing foreign officials to secure or retain contracts. The White House framed Trump’s decision to suspend enforcement of the measure, which has historically been a cornerstone of America’s anti-corruption framework, as a move to bolster business interests. “It’s going to mean a lot more business for America,” Trump said as he signed the order, effectively dismantling a key safeguard against corporate misconduct.

Transparency International’s latest CPI report ranks 180 countries and territories based on perceived levels of public-sector corruption. The index relies on independent data sources and a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt, and 100 is very clean. Denmark remains the least corrupt country for the seventh consecutive year, scoring 90, followed closely by Finland (88) and Singapore (84). Meanwhile, nations plagued by political instability and weak governance—such as South Sudan (8), Somalia (9), and Venezuela (10)—sit at the bottom of the index. The United States, once among the least corrupt nations, has suffered a steady decline. Falling to a score of 65, it now ranks below several European and Asia-Pacific nations that have strengthened their anti-corruption efforts. According to the report, a lack of strong institutions and unchecked political influence is eroding democratic safeguards.

The report also details how corruption fuels the climate crisis by diverting critical resources, weakening environmental protections, and allowing industries with vested interests to influence policy decisions. Transparency International’s CEO, Maíra Martini, called for urgent action to prevent corruption from obstructing climate initiatives. “It is imperative that urgent action is taken to root out corruption so that meaningful climate action is not undermined by undue influence, theft, and misuse of funds. Governments and multilateral organizations must integrate anti-corruption measures into climate efforts to safeguard climate finance and reestablish trust in climate initiatives,” Martini said.

The CPI findings reveal that corruption-driven mismanagement of climate funds is widespread. A recent audit found that millions of dollars meant for climate mitigation in Russia were misappropriated, leading to the failure of emissions-reduction projects. Libya, one of the world’s lowest-scoring countries on the index, saw deadly consequences of corruption last year when poorly maintained dams collapsed during Storm Daniel, killing over 11,000 people. In the U.S., a major energy company orchestrated a $60 million bribery scheme to secure a bailout for nuclear plants, shielding them from competition with renewable energy sources. Transparency International warns that such corruption undermines environmental policy and slows the transition to clean energy. Corruption is also a growing threat to those advocating for climate action. More than 1,000 environmental defenders have been murdered in the past five years, with many of these killings occurring in countries with low CPI scores, such as Brazil (34) and the Philippines (33). “Corruption is an evolving global threat that does far more than undermine development—it is a key cause of declining democracy, instability, and human rights violations. The international community and every nation must make tackling corruption a top and long-term priority. This is crucial to pushing back against authoritarianism and securing a peaceful, free, and sustainable world,” said François Valérian, chair of Transparency International.

Stacy M. Brown

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