Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Rise Despite Power Sector Decline
Recent data from 2025 reveals a complex picture of global greenhouse gas emissions. While some countries like India and China have reduced emissions in their power sectors, overall global emissions have increased. The main driver remains the continued heavy reliance on fossil fuels, especially in the United States. This trend poses serious challenges for meeting international climate targets and marks the urgent need for a global energy transition.
Global Emission Trends in Early 2025
Between January and June 2025, global greenhouse gas emissions reached 31 billion tonnes of CO2-equivalent. This represents a 0.13 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. June alone saw emissions rise by 0.29 per cent year-on-year. Methane emissions also increased by 0.49 per cent in June, indicating growing concerns beyond carbon dioxide.
Fossil Fuels as the Primary Emission Driver
Fossil fuel use grew by 1.5 per cent, adding nearly 78 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent emissions globally. More than half of this increase originated from the United States. Despite global calls for clean energy, the US continues to depend heavily on oil, gas, and coal. This reliance undermines efforts to curb climate change and offsets gains made in other sectors.
Power Sector Emissions Decline
The power sector saw a global emissions drop of over 60 million tonnes CO2-equivalent. China led this decline with a 1.7 per cent reduction, followed by India with a 0.8 per cent decrease. These reductions reflect progress in renewable energy adoption and efficiency improvements. However, these gains are insufficient to counterbalance overall emission increases.
Manufacturing and Other Sector Emissions
Manufacturing emissions rose by 0.3 per cent, mainly due to increased output in India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Brazil. Other sectors also contributed to emission rises in countries including the European Union and Indonesia. This marks the challenge of achieving comprehensive decarbonisation across all industries.
International Climate Commitments
The International Court of Justice has warned that failure to reduce fossil fuel production and consumption could constitute an internationally wrongful act. This adds legal pressure on governments to act decisively. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change emphasises the need for emissions to peak before 2025 and decline sharply by 2030 to limit warming to 1.5°C.
Challenges to Meeting Climate Goals
Despite warnings and commitments, fossil fuel consumption rose in 2024, driven by natural gas demand. The continued dependence on fossil fuels risks negating advances in renewable energy. Without faster action to reduce fossil fuel use, global emissions are likely to keep rising, making climate targets harder to achieve.
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