LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – In the broader context of monitoring climate change, Eurostat has reported a modest increase in greenhouse gas emissions within the European Union during the first quarter of 2026. The latest data indicates that, seasonally adjusted, emissions reached 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, marking an increase from 835 million tonnes in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the EU’s gross domestic product showed no change over the same period. These figures serve as the newest snapshot of the greenhouse gases emitted from economic activities and household consumption across the 27-member bloc.
Compared to the first quarter of 2025, emissions decreased by 1.2%, even as the EU’s GDP grew by 0.8%, according to Eurostat figures. The reported emissions encompass carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all expressed in CO2-equivalent units. To facilitate comparison across different periods, Eurostat adjusts the quarterly emissions data for seasonal variations. Data for the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain were provided by their respective authorities, while Eurostat estimated figures for the remaining European Union member states.
The sector with the most notable quarterly increase was electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply, which rose by 4.8%. Emissions from water supply, sewerage, and waste management grew by 0.7%. Conversely, household emissions declined by 1.3%. Manufacturing, construction, and transportation and storage each experienced a reduction of 0.6%. Manufacturing remained the largest contributor to the EU’s total emissions at 20.8%, followed closely by households at 20.2%. The electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning sector accounted for an additional 16.5% of the total emissions.
Emissions Increase in 20 EU Member States
During the quarter, greenhouse gas emissions rose in 20 of the EU’s 27 member countries, while seven saw a decline. Estonia experienced the largest jump at 9.7%, followed by Finland at 6.4% and Bulgaria at 4.6%. Eurostat attributed these increases mainly to higher emissions from construction activities and the electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply sector. Slovenia recorded the steepest decrease at 5.0%, with Luxembourg and Romania following at 3.8% and 2.7%, respectively.
Among the 20 countries where emissions increased, 18 also reported economic growth during the same period. Four out of the seven countries that saw reductions in emissions experienced either stable or rising GDP levels. Those nations were Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia. These detailed country-level insights highlight how quarterly emissions and economic output shifted across member states in the first three months of 2026.
Despite Quarterly Fluctuations, Annual Emissions Remain Below 2015 Levels
Eurostat’s separate annual data indicates that in 2025, the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the EU economy and households totaled 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This figure is 17.2% lower than the total recorded in 2015. The annual measurement encompasses all economic activities and household contributions. The latest quarterly data shows emissions stayed below the same period in the previous year, despite a slight uptick from the last quarter of 2025.
Eurostat routinely publishes quarterly estimates of greenhouse gas emissions to complement other economic indicators, such as GDP and employment. The data categorizes emissions by economic sector and household activity, enabling cross-sector and cross-country comparisons within the EU. For the first quarter of 2026, emissions saw a minor increase compared to the previous quarter, while EU GDP remained steady. When compared to the same quarter in 2025, emissions decreased by 1.2%, despite economic growth of 0.8% during that period.