LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – According to Eurostat, greenhouse gas emissions within the EU increased by 0.3% during the first quarter of 2026. Seasonally adjusted data indicate that emissions reached 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, up from 835 million tonnes recorded in the previous quarter. During the same period, the European Union’s gross domestic product showed no change from the previous quarter. These figures serve as the latest indicator of emissions generated by economic activities and households across the 27-member bloc.
Compared to the first quarter of 2025, emissions declined by 1.2%, while EU GDP grew by 0.8%, Eurostat data revealed. The reported emissions include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all expressed in CO2-equivalent terms. To facilitate comparison between consecutive periods, Eurostat adjusts the quarterly emissions data for seasonal effects. Emissions estimates from the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain were provided by those countries themselves, whereas Eurostat generated estimates for the remaining European Union member states.
The largest quarterly increase occurred in electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply, rising by 4.8%. Emissions from water supply, sewerage, and waste management increased by 0.7%. Household emissions decreased by 1.3%, while manufacturing, construction, as well as transportation and storage each declined by 0.6%. Manufacturing remained the primary source of total EU emissions at 20.8%, followed closely by households at 20.2%. The sector of electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply accounted for an additional 16.5% of the total.
Emissions Rise in 20 EU Member States
During the quarter, greenhouse gas emissions increased in 20 out of the 27 EU countries and decreased in seven. Estonia experienced the largest rise at 9.7%, followed by Finland at 6.4% and Bulgaria at 4.6%. Eurostat attributed these increases primarily to higher emissions from construction activities and electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply. Conversely, Slovenia saw the steepest decline at 5.0%, with Luxembourg at 3.8% and Romania at 2.7% also registering reductions during the quarter.
Among the 20 countries where emissions grew, 18 also recorded economic growth during the same period. Four of the seven countries that reduced emissions reported either stable or higher GDP. These nations included Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia. The data offers a detailed view at the country level, illustrating how both emissions and GDP shifted during the first three months of 2026 across different member states.
Annual Emissions Stay Below 2015 Levels
Eurostat’s annual data shows that EU economy and household greenhouse gas emissions totaled 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025. This figure represents a 17.2% decrease compared to 2015. The annual measurement encompasses all economic activities combined with household emissions. Despite a slight increase from late 2025, the latest quarterly data indicates that emissions in early 2026 remained below the same period a year earlier.
Eurostat releases quarterly estimates of greenhouse gases to complement economic indicators such as GDP and employment. Their data categorizes emissions by sector and household activities, enabling cross-sector and cross-country comparisons within the EU. For the first quarter of 2026, the figures showed a modest rise in emissions alongside stable EU GDP. When compared to the same quarter in 2025, the trend reversed, with emissions decreasing by 1.2% while economic output grew by 0.8%.