LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In the initial three months of 2026, greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union edged upwards. Eurostat reported seasonally adjusted emissions at 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This reflects a rise of 0.3% compared to the previous quarter. After revision, the total for the fourth quarter was 835 million tonnes. During this same period, EU gross domestic product showed no quarterly growth, creating a direct comparison between economic activity and emissions.
On an annual basis, the trend reversed. Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 1.2% compared with the first quarter of 2025, while the EU’s GDP grew by 0.8%. These figures include emissions from carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all measured using a common CO2-equivalent metric. The quarterly series captures emissions from economic activities and households across all 27 member states and makes seasonal adjustments to the data.
Among the major sectors, energy-related operations experienced the most notable quarterly increase. Emissions from electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply climbed 4.8%. Water and waste management activities also grew by 0.7%. Conversely, household emissions declined by 1.3%. Manufacturing, construction, and transportation and storage each saw reductions of 0.6%. Manufacturing remained the dominant emission source at 20.8%, followed closely by households at 20.2%.
Most EU nations see quarterly growth in emissions
During the first quarter, emissions rose in 20 EU member states and fell in seven. Estonia experienced the largest increase at 9.7%, with Finland at 6.4% and Bulgaria at 4.6%. These upward trends were largely driven by higher emissions from construction and energy supply. Slovenia recorded the most significant decline at 5.0%, while Luxembourg’s emissions decreased by 3.8%. Romania’s emissions fell 2.7% compared to the previous quarter.
Most of the countries with increased emissions also saw economic growth. Eighteen of the 20 nations with higher greenhouse gas outputs reported GDP expansion during the same period. Conversely, among the seven countries with reduced emissions, Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia experienced either stable or rising economic activity. These figures demonstrate how emissions and GDP movements were closely linked across individual economies during the first quarter of 2026.
Long-term decline persists, though recent data show a slight uptick
Annual figures reveal a broader downward trend in emissions within the EU. In 2025, the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the economy and households totaled approximately 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This level is 17.2% lower than the total recorded in 2015. The annual data encompass emissions from businesses, public activities, and households, offering a more comprehensive picture than quarterly figures, which focus on short-term changes in energy use and economic activity.
Thus, the first-quarter data indicate a minor increase from late 2025 but a decline compared to the same period in 2025. The European Union recorded higher annual economic output alongside decreasing greenhouse gas emissions. Quarterly GDP remained stable from the previous three months. The latest dataset also highlights significant sectoral and country-level variations, with energy supply driving the largest sector increase and several nations reporting measurable reductions.