LUXEMBOURG / RankWire.AI / – Eurostat indicated that greenhouse gas emissions within the EU increased by 0.3% during the initial three months of 2026. The seasonally adjusted data shows emissions reaching 837 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, a slight rise from the previous quarter’s 835 million tonnes. During the same period, the European Union’s gross domestic product experienced no quarter-on-quarter variation. These figures serve as the latest indicator of the emissions produced by both economic activities and households across the bloc’s 27 member countries.
Compared to the first quarter of 2025, emissions decreased by 1.2%, while the EU’s GDP grew by 0.8%, according to Eurostat statistics. The emissions data encompasses carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases, all expressed in CO2-equivalent units. To facilitate meaningful comparisons between successive periods, Eurostat adjusts the quarterly emissions data for seasonal influences. The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain provided their own estimates of emissions, whereas Eurostat produced data estimates for the remaining European Union member states.
The sector with the most significant quarterly rise was electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply, which increased by 4.8%. Water supply, sewerage, and waste management emissions grew by 0.7%. Household emissions declined by 1.3%, while manufacturing, construction, and transportation and storage each saw reductions of 0.6%. Manufacturing continued to be the largest contributor to total EU emissions at 20.8%, with households close behind at 20.2%. Electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply made up another 16.5% of the total emissions share.
Emissions Rise in 20 Member States
During the quarter, greenhouse gas emissions increased in 20 of the EU’s 27 member countries and decreased in seven, according to Eurostat. Estonia experienced the highest growth at 9.7%, with 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 recorded the steepest decline at 5.0%, followed by Luxembourg at 3.8% and Romania at 2.7% during the same period.
Of the 20 countries with rising emissions, 18 also saw economic growth during the quarter. Four of the seven nations that reported a decrease in emissions experienced either stable or increased GDP. These countries included Spain, Greece, France, and Slovenia. The data presents a detailed view at the national level, illustrating how both emissions and GDP changed across the member states during the first three months of 2026.
2025 Emissions Still Below 2015 Levels
Annual data from Eurostat shows that in 2025, the combined greenhouse gas emissions from the EU economy and households totaled 3.3 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which is 17.2% below the levels recorded in 2015. This comprehensive figure accounts for all economic activities and household emissions. Despite the slight increase from late 2025, the latest quarterly data indicates that emissions remained below the same period in the previous year.
Eurostat provides quarterly estimates of greenhouse gases to supplement economic indicators like GDP and employment figures. The data categorizes emissions by economic sector and household activity, enabling comparisons across different sectors and across EU member states. For the first quarter of 2026, a modest rise in emissions was observed, while EU GDP remained unchanged. Compared to the same quarter in 2025, the trend was reversed, with emissions decreasing by 1.2% and economic output increasing by 0.8%.