EU Joint Research Centre · Climate & nature

Global CO2 Emissions Rose 0.7% in 2025, but Six Major Emitters Reduced Output

Global greenhouse gas emissions, excluding land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF), reached a record 54 gigatonnes of CO2 equivalent (CO2eq) in 2025, a 0.7% increase from 2024. This continues the post-COVID-19 upward trend, albeit at a slower pace. Six of the 16 major emitters managed to reduce their emissions.

The six largest emitters—China, the United States, India, the EU, Russia, and Indonesia—collectively contributed 62% of global GHG emissions in 2025. While the US saw the largest absolute increase (+2.2%), China and India maintained or slightly reduced their emissions. Australia, Brazil, and Japan were among the six major emitters that achieved reductions.

The EU reduced its GHG emissions by 0.2% compared to 2024, reaching a 35.6% reduction from 1990 levels. Its per capita emissions also continued to decline. Türkiye experienced the highest relative increase among major emitters (+4.2%), with notable rises also in Iran and Saudi Arabia. Aviation and maritime shipping emissions increased by 5.1% and 1.4%, respectively.

The LULUCF sector was a net source of approximately 0.9 Gt CO2eq globally in 2025, partly due to wildfires. Deforestation released 3.7 Gt CO2, and wildfires generated 2.2 Gt CO2eq. The EU's LULUCF sector remained a net sink, but carbon removal levels decreased, influenced by a 40% rise in regional wildfire emissions from 2024 to 2025.

The data comes from the European Commission’s Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR), compiled with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and published in a JRC report. EDGAR provides comparable data across countries and sectors from 1970 to 2025, supporting EU climate policies and international climate negotiations.

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