EU greenhouse gas emissions edge lower in second quarter as GDP grows
European Union greenhouse gas emissions ease in the second quarter of 2026 even as the bloc’s economy continues to expand. The decline comes as GDP rises 0.8% from the first quarter, pointing to another period in which output growth outpaces emissions growth.
Highlights
- EU greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.5% quarter-on-quarter to 833 million tonnes CO2-equivalent in Q2 2026 as GDP grew 1.5% year-on-year.
- Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply contributed most to emissions reductions, subtracting 0.44 percentage points, partly offset by services and manufacturing increases.
- Greenhouse gas emissions dropped in 18 EU countries in Q2 2026, with Estonia, Latvia, and Finland leading declines, while 16 of these also posted higher or stable GDP.
Quarterly emissions data and sector drivers
As reported by Eurostat, the EU economy’s seasonally adjusted greenhouse gas emissions in the second quarter of 2026 are estimated at 833 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent, down 0.5% from 837 million tonnes in the first quarter.The largest contributors to the quarterly reduction are electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, which subtract 0.44 percentage points, followed by households at 0.22 percentage points and transportation and storage at 0.01 percentage points. Those declines are partly offset by higher emissions from other economic activities, mostly services, which add 0.14 percentage points, and manufacturing, which adds 0.05 percentage points.
Compared with the second quarter of 2025, emissions increase 1.4% while EU GDP rises 1.5%. Eurostat says the quarterly emissions estimates complement other socio-economic indicators such as GDP and employment.
Country pattern highlights mixed regional impact
Across the bloc, seasonally adjusted greenhouse gas emissions increase in eight EU countries, decrease in 18 and remain unchanged in one country compared with the first quarter of 2026.The sharpest estimated declines are in Estonia, down 15.5%, Latvia, down 10.6%, and Finland, down 7.6%. The largest estimated increases are in Malta, up 4.8%, Ireland, up 1.0%, and Romania, up 0.8%.
All eight countries that record higher greenhouse gas emissions also post GDP growth. Of the 18 countries that cut emissions, 16 report either higher or stable GDP, indicating that lower emissions and economic resilience continue to coincide in most member states during the quarter.
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