EU greenhouse gas emissions climbed to 900 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents in early 2025, up 3.4% from the same period last year. Electricity production and household consumption were the main drivers, while agriculture, forestry, and fishing saw a slight decline.

According to data released by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, EU greenhouse gas emissions reached an estimated 900 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents in the first quarter of 2025, marking a 3.4% increase from Q1 2024. The rise occurred alongside a 1.2% growth in the EU’s GDP, highlighting divergent trends in economic growth and emissions.

The largest sectoral increases were recorded in electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (+13.6%) and households (+5.6%). Meanwhile, manufacturing (-0.2%), transportation and storage (-2.9%), and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (-1.4%) contributed to overall reductions in emissions.

Emission trends varied across EU countries. Twenty nations reported higher emissions compared with Q1 2024, while seven countries—led by Malta (-6.2%), Finland (-4.4%), and Denmark (-4.3%)—achieved reductions. Notably, Denmark, Finland, Malta, and Sweden decreased emissions while growing their GDP, signaling potential models for sustainable economic growth. Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, and Greece saw increases exceeding 5%.