Greenhouse gas emissions from the European Union economy rose 0.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, reaching 837 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, according to figures from Eurostat.
The increase was slower than the 0.9 per cent quarterly rise
recorded in the final three months of 2025, while EU gross domestic product
remained stable.
The electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply
sector recorded the largest increase in emissions during the quarter, rising
4.8 per cent.
This was partly offset by a 1.3 per cent decline in
household emissions and 0.6 per cent reductions in both manufacturing and
transport and storage.
Compared with the first quarter of 2025, however, EU
greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.2 per cent, while GDP increased 0.8 per cent,
indicating that economic growth was accompanied by lower emissions on an annual
basis.
The latest figures follow a stronger emissions increase in
the fourth quarter of 2025, when electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning
supply emissions rose 7.2 per cent, transport and storage emissions increased
1.3 per cent, and mining and quarrying emissions grew 0.9 per cent.
At member-state level, emissions increased in 20 EU
countries between the fourth quarter of 2025 and the first quarter of 2026,
while seven recorded declines.
Slovenia posted the largest reduction at 5 per cent,
followed by Luxembourg at 3.8 per cent and Romania at 2.7 per cent.
Estonia recorded the sharpest increase at 9.7 per cent,
followed by Finland at 6.4 per cent and Bulgaria at 4.6 per cent.
Eurostat said the increases in Estonia, Finland and Bulgaria
were mainly linked to higher emissions from economic operators in the
construction sector and the electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply
sector.
Italy recorded a marginal 0.2 per cent increase in emissions
compared with the previous quarter, while its GDP grew 0.3 per cent.
The data highlights continued differences in emissions
trends across the bloc, with the energy supply sector remaining a key driver of
quarterly increases, even as overall emissions remained below year-earlier
levels. -OGN/TradeArabia News Service
