Global Emissions Climb to 54.1 Billion Tonnes as COP31 Opens
New data from the European Commission and IEA shows a 0.7 percent rise in 2025, driven primarily by power generation, industry, and transport.
By Chioma Brooks ·
World leaders began meeting in Antalya, Turkiye, on November 9 for the United Nations COP31 climate summit. The gathering runs through November 20 against a backdrop of rising global greenhouse gas levels. New figures released by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the International Energy Agency place 2025 emissions at 54.1 billion tonnes. This total marks a 0.7 percent increase from the previous year and stands 68.5 percent above 1990 levels.
Three nations account for nearly half of this output. China generated the largest share at 29.5 percent, releasing almost 16 billion tonnes. The United States followed with 6.02 billion tonnes, or 11.1 percent of the global total. India contributed 4.51 billion tonnes, representing 8.3 percent. The 27 member states of the European Union added 5.8 percent to the total, while Russia accounted for 4.8 percent.
Electricity generation remains the single largest source of emissions, responsible for nearly 30 percent of the 2025 total. This sector has roughly quadrupled in output since 1970 as demand grew in fast-expanding economies like China and India. Manufacturing, mining, and other industrial activities contributed another 21 percent. These figures include fuel consumption and gases released during the production of cement, metals, and chemicals.
Transport provided the third-largest share at 16 percent. Together, power generation, industry, and transport make up about two-thirds of global emissions. Agriculture contributed 12 percent, while coal, oil, and gas extraction accounted for 11 percent. Buildings added 6.6 percent and waste 3.6 percent. International shipping and aviation, which are tracked separately from national totals, generated 2.6 percent of the world’s emissions.
The primary drivers differ among the largest emitters. In China, power generation produced 42 percent of greenhouse gases, followed by industry at 31 percent. In the United States, transport led with 29 percent, driven largely by cars and trucks. Electricity generation accounted for 26 percent in the US, ahead of industry at 14 percent. India’s power sector contributed 35 percent, with industry at 24 percent and agriculture at 19 percent.
Carbon dioxide made up 73.8 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2025. This gas comes mainly from burning coal, oil, and gas, while deforestation reduces the number of trees available to absorb it. Methane contributed 17.6 percent, nitrous oxide 5.3 percent, and fluorinated gases 3.3 percent. The Joint Research Centre notes that global carbon dioxide emissions have increased by 76.3 percent since 1990.
The World Meteorological Organization reports that ocean heat reached a record level in 2025. Warming has accelerated sharply over the past two decades. The agency also states that extreme weather events killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions in 2026. While annual rankings show China as the largest current emitter, the US has contributed 23.5 percent of cumulative carbon dioxide emissions since the mid-18th century, compared with 15.4 percent for China.
Global greenhouse gas emissions have more than doubled from about 23 billion tonnes in 1970. Previous declines following the 2008 financial crisis and the 2020 pandemic were followed by rebounds. In September 2025, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 7 to 10 percent from their peak by 2035.
