London, 14 August (Argus) — The EU’s economy-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased by 3.4pc on the year in the first quarter of 2025, driven largely by the power and gas supply sector, estimates published today by EU statistics office Eurostat indicate.
The EU’s GHG emissions stood at 900mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in the first quarter of this year, compared with 871mn t CO2e in the first three months of 2024.
The electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply sector recorded the largest proportional and actual increase of 13.6pc, or 20.7mn t CO2e. Renewable production in the region fell on the year in key European power demand hubs, while coal-fired output switched to an advantage to gas-fired production, boosting the share of more carbon-intensive assets in the bloc’s generation mix.
German day-ahead clean dark spreads for a 40pc-efficient coal-fired plant averaged €/MWh in the first quarter, Argus data show, while clean spark spreads for a 55pc-efficient gas-fired plant stood at €/MWh. Average equivalent clean dark spreads, conversely, stood at minus €/MWh in the first quarter of 2024, while average clean spark spreads were marginally in positive territory at €/MWh.
Household emissions recorded the second-largest increase of the period of 5.7pc, followed by a 2.2pc increase in water supply and management emissions and 1.1pc in the services sector. Mining and quarrying emissions edged up by 1pc and construction by 0.3pc.
Only three sectors posted a reduction in their emissions on the year, with the largest registered in transportation and storage at 2.9pc, or 3.14mn t CO2e. Agriculture, forestry and fishing emissions dropped by 1.4pc and manufacturing emissions by 0.3pc.
The EU’s economy-wide GHG emissions edged up, by 0.4pc in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the final quarter of 2024. But most sectors saw a decline over the period. Mining emissions dropped the most proportionally on the quarter, by 15.1pc, while transportation emissions fell the most in actual terms, by 11.4mn t CO2e, or 9.6pc.
Agriculture and manufacturing emissions also declined on the quarter, by 3.1pc and 4.2pc, respectively. Construction emissions were down by 8.8pc, services by 5pc and water supply by 1.5pc.
Just two sectors posted a quarter-on-quarter increase — household emissions were up by 10.1pc, or 21mn t CO2e, and electricity-sector emissions by 7.3pc, or 11.8mn t CO2e.
Emissions rose in 20 EU member states on the year in the first quarter of 2025, with Bulgaria posting the largest proportional increase of 17.4pc, followed by the Czech Republic with 10.7pc. But Germany recorded the largest actual increase, of 8.7mn t CO2e, or 4.6pc, and Poland the second, of 5.9mn t CO2e, or 6.1pc.
Of the seven countries whose emissions fell over the period, Malta recorded the largest proportional decrease of 6.2pc, followed by Finland at 4.4pc and Denmark at 4.3pc, with the latter representing the largest actual decrease of any country at 871,000 t CO2e.
The picture was more balanced on the quarter, with 13 countries recording higher emissions and 14 having registered lower emissions. Cyprus posted the largest proportional quarter-on-quarter increase of 11.3pc, while Germany again recorded the largest actual increase of 7.7mn t CO2e, or 4pc.
Romania posted the largest proportional and actual fall on the quarter, of 4.52mn t CO2e or 14.3pc.
By Victoria Hatherick
