Global Emissions Overview
The global emissions reached a record 53.2 gigatonnes (Gt) of CO2 equivalent. This 1.3% rise occurred despite the explicit commitments made in the Glasgow Climate Pact. While the European Union successfully cut its pollution by 1.8%, demonstrating that policy can drive change, the global trajectory remains alarmingly upward.
The gap between our climate pledges and real-world energy consumption is widening. To limit global warming to 1.5°C, scientists warned that emissions needed to peak by 2025 at the latest. The data, however, shows no sign of a global peak. Instead, we are seeing a "plateau at a peak," where emissions stabilize at record highs rather than falling. This delay consumes the remaining carbon budget rapidly, leaving future generations with an impossible task of removing carbon from the atmosphere.
Despite regional progress in the EU, global fossil fuel emissions continue to climb, as shown in the timeline below.
Global Fossil CO₂ Emissions
Source: Global Carbon Project (excludes land use)
Sector Breakdown
Understanding the sources of pollution is vital. The primary driver for the recent increase was the power industry, which saw an absolute increase of 235 million tonnes. Energy production remains the single largest pollution source globally, accounting for over one-third of greenhouse gases. The reliance on coal in major developing nations to generate electricity is the main reason this number remains so high. Even though solar and wind are growing exponentially, they are mostly meeting "new" demand from economic growth rather than replacing existing coal plants.
Transport is the second-largest challenge. Cars, trucks, and shipping contributed heavily to the 2024 rise. Specifically, the aviation sector has seen a sharp rebound, returning to pre-pandemic levels of pollution. While electric vehicles are becoming common in Europe and China, they still represent a small fraction of the global fleet. Decarbonizing heavy transport, planes and ships, remains a massive technological hurdle.
We must also look at the natural world. Land use and forestry typically help us by acting as a "carbon sink," absorbing CO2. In 2024, they removed about 1.3 Gt of CO2. However, climate change itself is damaging this natural defense. Severe wildfires in Canada, Brazil, and Southern Europe released 2.1 Gt of CO2 back into the atmosphere. This creates a dangerous feedback loop: a hotter planet causes more fires, which release more carbon, which makes the planet even hotter. As seen in the chart below, no major economic sector achieved a meaningful global decrease in 2024.
View country-level dataGlobal Emissions by Sector
Breakdown of major anthropogenic sources
Delivering on COP26
The EU vs. The World
At COP26 in Glasgow (2021), the world agreed to keep the 1.5-degree target alive. The EU launched the Global Methane Pledge as a cornerstone of that summit. Now, looking at the 2024/2025 data, we can see who kept those promises. The gap between ambition and reality varies wildly depending on where you look.
The EU has successfully turned policy into results. In 2024, EU emissions shrank by 1.8%. This stands in sharp contrast to other major economies like India (+3.9%) and Indonesia (+5%). The EU's success is driven by "decoupling," meaning the economy grew wealthier while pollution went down. Since 1990, the EU economy has grown by more than 60%, yet emissions have dropped by nearly 40%. This decoupling is largely due to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) and the introduction of the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which prevents "carbon leakage" by taxing dirty imports.
However, the rest of the world is struggling to follow this path. In many developing nations, the priority is lifting people out of poverty. This often requires cheap and reliable energy, which historically has meant coal. While these countries are installing solar panels at record rates, their total energy demand is rising so fast that they need every source of power they can get. This development gap is the primary reason global emissions continue to rise despite Western reductions.
Key Insight
The EU accounts for just 6.1% of global emissions today but is the largest donor of climate finance. It is one of the few regions actively meeting the reduction trends set out at COP26.
2024 Emissions Comparison (Gt)
Trend: EU Decline vs Global Rise
The Heavy Weight of History
To truly understand climate politics, we cannot look at 2024 in isolation. We must look back to 1750. Carbon dioxide does not disappear overnight; it accumulates in the atmosphere for centuries. This means the CO2 released by steam engines in Victorian England or factories in 1950s Detroit is still warming the planet today.
When we analyze cumulative emissions, the map of responsibility shifts dramatically toward the West. The United States is the undisputed leader of historical pollution, having emitted over 420 billion tonnes of CO2 since the Industrial Revolution. This accounts for roughly 25% of all human emissions in history.
The European Union (plus the UK) is the second-largest historical contributor, responsible for about 22% of the global total. Together, these two Western powers are responsible for nearly half of the excess carbon currently in the atmosphere. This historical reality drives the "Climate Justice" debate. It explains why the Glasgow Climate Pact emphasizes that developed nations must lead in finance, not as charity, but as a debt owed for consuming the planet's carbon budget to build their wealth.
Cumulative Emissions (1750-2024)
United States
420 Gt
25% of global total history
EU-27 + UK
350 Gt
Industrial pioneers
China
280 Gt
Rapid rise since 1990
The Glasgow Climate Pact: A Turning Point
The Glasgow Climate Pact, signed in November 2021, remains the guiding document for current climate action. For the first time in the history of UN climate conferences, a deal explicitly mentioned "fossil fuels." Nations agreed to accelerate the "phase-down of unabated coal power" and the "phase-out of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies." This language was the subject of intense debate. In the final moments of the conference, the wording was softened from "phase out" to "phase down" at the request of China and India. While some saw this as a failure, others saw it as a victory for simply getting coal onto the agenda. It sent a clear signal to markets and investors: the era of coal is ending, even if the timeline is debated.
Another critical outcome was the focus on Adaptation Finance. Developed countries agreed to double the funding provided to developing nations for adapting to climate change by 2025. This was a direct response to the pleas of small island nations who are already losing land to rising seas. They argued that cutting emissions is not enough; they need money now to build sea walls and drought-resistant crops.
Fossil Fuels
For the first time, a UN deal explicitly mentioned "fossil fuels." Nations agreed to accelerate the "phase-down of unabated coal power" and the "phase-out of inefficient subsidies."
Adaptation Finance
Developed countries agreed to double funding for adaptation by 2025. This responds to small island nations who need money now for sea walls and resilience.
Loss & Damage
The pact launched the "Glasgow Dialogue" on Loss and Damage, paving the way for future financial compensation for destruction caused by climate change.
Beyond CO2: Methane and Forests
Forests & Land Use
The Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use was a major announcement. More than 140 countries pledged to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. Backed by nearly $19 billion in public and private funds, it recognized that we cannot stop climate change without protecting nature. However, 2024 data shows we are struggling, with wildfires undermining these goals.
Global Methane Pledge
Led by the EU and US, over 100 countries agreed to cut methane emissions by 30% by 2030. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that comes from oil and gas leaks, landfills, and livestock. Because it doesn't stay in the atmosphere as long as CO2, cutting methane is the fastest way to slow down global warming in the short term.
The Cost of Diplomacy: COP26 Carbon Footprint
It is a common criticism: thousands of delegates flying around the world to talk about reducing emissions. COP26 in Glasgow was the largest climate conference ever held, with nearly 40,000 registered attendees. This scale came with a significant environmental cost. The official carbon management report confirmed the total footprint was approximately 102,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. This is roughly double the footprint of COP25 in Madrid.
The UK government committed to offsetting these emissions through UN-certified carbon credits, investing in sustainable projects like clean cookstoves in developing nations to balance the ledger. While offsets neutralize the math, critics argue that the event itself needs to change. Suggestions for future summits include more virtual participation and stricter limits on delegation sizes to reduce the "carbon cost of diplomacy."
102,500
Tonnes of CO2eq
Total footprint of COP26 event. Aviation accounted for ~60%.
Article 6: The Rules of Carbon Trading
One of the most technical but important outcomes of COP26 was the finalization of Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. After years of deadlock, nations finally agreed on the rules for international carbon markets. This system allows countries to trade emission reductions, known as "Internationally Transferred Mitigation Outcomes" (ITMOs).
For example, if a country like Norway pays for a solar farm in Indonesia that replaces a coal plant, Article 6 allows Norway to count those emission cuts towards its own targets. The key to making this work is avoiding "double counting," ensuring that both Norway and Indonesia don't claim the credit for the same tonne of carbon. The Glasgow decision created a centralized hub for these trades and set strict accounting standards to prevent nations from gaming the system.
Trading Mechanism
Enables countries to buy carbon credits from others to meet their NDCs (Nationally Determined Contributions).
Strict Accounting
Prevents "double counting" of emissions cuts and ensures environmental integrity in the global market.
Emissions by Country
Geography shapes climate impact. To understand the full picture, we must look at the data in three different ways: Total Emissions, Per Capita Emissions, and Historical Cumulative Emissions. Each metric tells a different story about responsibility and action.
When we look at Historical Cumulative emissions, the picture of responsibility changes. Carbon dioxide stays in the atmosphere for centuries. This means the CO2 released during the Industrial Revolution is still warming the planet today. The United States has emitted the most CO2 since 1751, accounting for a quarter of all historical emissions. Europe is also a major historical contributor. This metric is the basis for the argument that developed nations should lead the way in paying for climate solutions, as they used up the "carbon budget" to build their wealth.
Total View
Shows absolute pollution scale. China is the world's largest emitter today, followed by the US and India.
Per Capita View
Measures individual footprints. The average American emits 3x more than the global average.
Historical View
Shows centuries of impact. The US has emitted the most CO2 since 1751 (25% of total).