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 shows emissions reached 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, up from 835 million tonnes in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, the EU’s gross domestic product remained stable over the same period. These figures offer the latest insight into emissions generated by economic activities and households across the 27-member bloc.
Compared to Q1 2025, emissions decreased by 1.2%, while EU GDP grew by 0.8%, Eurostat reports. The emissions data encompasses carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all expressed in CO2-equivalent terms. Eurostat adjusts the quarterly series for seasonal variations to facilitate comparison between periods. Data from the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain are based on their own estimates, with Eurostat providing estimates for the remaining European Union member states.
The largest quarterly increase in emissions occurred in electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply, which rose by 4.8%. Emissions from water supply, sewerage, and waste management increased by 0.7%. Household emissions declined by 1.3%, while manufacturing, construction, and transportation and storage each saw a reduction of 0.6%. Manufacturing remained the top contributor to EU emissions at 20.8%, followed by households at 20.2%. Electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply made up another 16.5% of the total.
Increase in Emissions Seen in 20 EU Member States
During the quarter, greenhouse gas emissions rose in 20 of the EU’s 27 countries, decreasing 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 mainly to higher emissions from construction and electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply. Conversely, Slovenia recorded the steepest decline at 5.0%, with Luxembourg at 3.8% and Romania at 2.7% during the same period.
Out of the 20 countries with increased emissions, 18 also reported economic growth during the quarter. Four of the seven countries that saw decreases in emissions experienced stable or higher GDP. These countries include Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia. The data provides a detailed country-by-country overview of how emissions and economic output changed across the EU during the first three months of 2026.
Annual Emissions Still Below 2015 Peak Levels
Eurostat’s annual data indicates that in 2025, the EU’s economy and households emitted a total of 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This total was 17.2% lower than the peak recorded in 2015. The yearly figure accounts for all economic activity and household emissions combined. Despite the slight quarterly increase from late 2025, early 2026 emissions remained below the previous year’s levels.
Eurostat publishes quarterly greenhouse gas estimates to complement economic indicators such as GDP and employment. The data categorize emissions by economic sector and household activity, enabling cross-sector and cross-country comparisons within the EU. For Q1 2026, emissions saw a modest increase quarter-over-quarter, with GDP remaining unchanged. Compared to the same period in 2025, emissions decreased by 1.2%, while economic output grew by 0.8%.
}#