EU greenhouse gas emissions outpace economic growth; up 3.4 percent in Q1 2025

Brussels – The EU economy is struggling to grow, but the production of polluting gases is progressing fast. According to the latest data released by Eurostat, the EU economy’s greenhouse gas emissions are estimated at 900 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent(CO2-eq) in the first quarter of 2025, an increase of 3.4 percent compared to the same quarter of 2024 (871 million tonnes of CO2-eq). At the same time, the EU’s gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 1.2 percent in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same quarter of 2024.

The information comes from the data on quarterly estimates of greenhouse gas emissions by economic activity published by Eurostat today.

The two economic sectors responsible for the most significant year-on-year increases were electricity, gas, steam, and air conditioning supply (+13.6 percent) and households (+5.6 percent). Three sectors decreased their emissions, namely manufacturing (-0.2 percent), transportation and storage (-2.9 percent), and agriculture, forestry, and fishing (-1.4 percent).

Emissions decreased in seven countries

In the first quarter of 2025, compared with the same quarter of 2024, increases in greenhouse gas emissions were estimated for 20 EU countries, while decreases were estimated for the remaining seven countries.

It is estimated that six countries (Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary, and Greece) increased their emissions by over 5 percent.

The most significant greenhouse gas reductions were estimated for Malta (-6.2 percent), Finland (-4.4 percent), and Denmark (-4.3 percent). Of the seven EU countries that recorded decreases in greenhouse gas emissions, three also recorded a decrease in their GDP (Estonia, Latvia, and Luxembourg). Eurostat estimates that the other four EU countries (Denmark, Finland, Malta, and Sweden) reduced their emissions while increasing their GDP.