Dubai: The UAE ranked fifth in KPMG’s 2019 Change Readiness Index (CRI), which ranked 140 nations on how effectively they prepare for and respond to major change events.

The index measured countries across three factors: enterprise, government, and people and civil society. The UAE was the only country in the Middle East and North Africa to have a spot in the top 10.

Globally, the top four countries were Switzerland, Singapore, Denmark, and Sweden. The top 10 remained largely unchanged from the 2017 report, with the exception of Norway, which has climbed to eighth place from eleventh to replace Finland.

KPMG said this year’s edition of the CRI focused on preparedness for climate change and abilities to address associated risks. In this aspect, the UAE surpassed other developed nations including the US, the UK, and Australia.

The UAE has developed a national climate change programme to mitigate the challenge by 2050, with the country’s government also targeting the development of a sustainable environment.