LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In the first quarter of 2026, emissions of greenhouse gases within the European Union experienced a modest uptick. Eurostat reported seasonally adjusted emissions at 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, marking an increase of 0.3% compared to the previous quarter. After revisions, the total for the fourth quarter stood at 835 million tonnes. During the same period, the EU’s gross domestic product showed no change from the previous quarter, providing a clear comparison between economic activity and emissions.
Looking at the year-over-year perspective, the trend moved in the opposite direction. Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 1.2% compared to the first quarter of 2025, while the EU’s GDP grew by 0.8%. The data encompass carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all measured using a common CO2-equivalent scale. The quarterly series tracks emissions from economic activities and households across all 27 member states, with adjustments made for seasonal variations.
Among the key sectors, energy-related activities registered the most significant quarterly increase. Emissions from electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply grew by 4.8%, and water and waste activities rose by 0.7%. Conversely, household emissions decreased by 1.3%. Manufacturing, construction, along with transportation and storage each experienced a decline of 0.6%. Manufacturing remained the predominant source, accounting for 20.8% of total emissions, followed closely by households at 20.2%.
Most EU nations report quarterly increases
During the first quarter, emissions rose in 20 member states of the European Union and fell in seven others. Estonia experienced the largest increase at 9.7%, with Finland at 6.4% and Bulgaria at 4.6%. These rises were primarily driven by higher emissions from construction and energy supply sectors. Conversely, Slovenia saw the steepest decline at 5.0%, while Luxembourg’s emissions decreased by 3.8%, and Romania’s dropped by 2.7% from the previous quarter.
Most countries with increased emissions also saw their economic output grow. Eighteen out of the 20 member states with higher greenhouse gas emissions reported GDP growth during the quarter. Among those that reduced emissions, Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia had either higher or stable economic performance. These figures demonstrate the connection between emissions and economic activity across individual member states during the first three months of 2026.
Annual figures reveal continued below-2015 emission levels
Separate yearly data indicate a longer-term decline in emissions across the European Union. In 2025, the total greenhouse gas emissions from the economy and households amounted to approximately 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This level represents a 17.2% decrease compared to the total recorded in 2015. The annual figures include emissions from businesses, public sector activities, and households, providing a broader perspective than the quarterly data, which focus on short-term changes in economic activity and energy consumption.
Thus, the first-quarter figures show a slight rise from late 2025 but a decrease compared to the same period a year earlier. The European Union experienced higher economic output on an annual basis while greenhouse gas emissions continued to decline during the same timeframe. Quarterly GDP remained unchanged from the previous three months. The latest dataset also highlights significant variation between sectors and member states, with energy supply sectors contributing the largest increase, whereas several countries reported measurable reductions in emissions.