Global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reached a record high of 55bn t/CO2 equivalent (CO2e) in 2025, up by 0.9pc on the year, data from the EU's independent emissions database for global atmospheric research (Edgar) show.
These figures include the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector — which can act either as a source of carbon or a carbon sink. Excluding LULUCF, global GHG emissions rose to 54.1bn t/CO2e in 2025, an increase of 0.7pc on the year, Edgar found.
The highest-emitting countries in 2025 were China, the US and India, with shares of 29.5pc, 11.1pc and 8.3pc of the global total, respectively, Edgar data show. The EU, Russia and Indonesia were responsible for 5.8pc, 4.8pc and 2.5pc, respectively, of global GHG emissions in 2025. These six economies account for 50.1pc of global population, 62pc of global GHG emissions and 63pc of global fossil fuel consumption, Edgar said.
Of the top six emitters, the US and Indonesia recorded the most substantial increases in emissions in 2024-5 — a rise of 2.2pc or 131.5mn t/CO2e for the US and one of 1.2pc or 16.1mn t/CO2e for Indonesia.
"China and India maintained or reduced their emissions levels for the first time", in 2025, Edgar said. China's GHG emissions rose by just 0.1pc or 9.6mn t/CO2e from 2024 levels, while India's emissions fell by 0.2pc in the same timeframe, Edgar said. The EU and Russia also recorded "small decreases" on the year in GHG emissions in 2025, or 0.2pc and 0.1pc, respectively, Edgar data show.
Elsewhere, Japan's emissions — 2pc of the global total — dropped by 1.4pc on the year in 2025 and Australia's by 1.3pc in the same timeframe. UN Cop 31 summit host Turkey's emissions — 1.1pc of the global total — rose by 4.2pc on the year in 2025, Edgar found.
Global GHG emissions increased across all sectors in 2025, apart from the power sector, which recorded a drop in emissions of 0.3pc on the year — 51mn t/CO2e — Edgar found. But power remains the "dominant" single sector, responsible for nearly 30pc of global emissions, the report added.
CO2, mostly from fossil fuel combustion, "remained the dominant component of global GHG emissions" in 2025, at 73.8pc of the total, Edgar said. Methane was responsible for 17.6pc, nitrogen oxides for 5.3pc and fluorinated gases — for uses such as refrigeration and air conditioning — for 3.3pc, Edgar said.
The LULUCF sector globally was a net source of carbon in 2025 of around 900mn t/CO2e — equivalent to 1.6pc of global GHG emissions that year — in part owed to wildfires, Edgar said. Wildfires generated 2.2bn t/CO2e in 2025, which was below the long-term average of 2.9bn t/CO2e since 1990. But "regional spikes were observed", Edgar said. This includes in the EU, where wildfire emissions rose by 40pc from 2024-5. Globally, deforestation in 2025 released 3.7bn t/CO2e, "offsetting more than twice the amount removed by the LULUCF sink globally", Edgar found.
Around 106 countries covering approximately 72pc of GHGs have net zero emissions targets in place, IEA data show. Net zero emissions — when GHG emissions are balanced by removals from the atmosphere — would halt further global temperature increases. The Paris climate agreement seeks to curb the rise in temperature to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and pursues a 1.5°C limit.
