Global GHG Emissions Hit Record 60.63 Billion Tonnes in 2025

Global greenhouse gas emissions reached an all-time high of 60.63 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2025, rising 0.5 per cent or 303.19 million tonnes compared with 2024, according to the independent monitoring coalition Climate TRACE. Global methane emissions also rebounded from a 2024 decline to reach a new annual record of 412.59 million tonnes of CH4, an increase of 1.03 per cent.

Fossil fuel operations recorded the highest sectoral growth, increasing 151.57 million tonnes CO2e or 1.56 per cent. Transportation, manufacturing and buildings also pushed emissions higher, while the power sector registered a slight decline of 0.13 per cent — its first fall since the COVID-19 pandemic. China's power sector emissions fell year-on-year for the first time since at least 2015, while India's power sector recorded its first decline since the 2020 lockdown period. Greenhouse gas emissions for every single month of 2025 were higher than the corresponding month in 2024.

Russia recorded the steepest national emissions increase of any country in 2025 at 51.6 million tonnes or 1.64 per cent, driven largely by oil and gas production growth. India recorded the largest national decrease at 27.5 million tonnes or 0.65 per cent. China's emissions grew by 48.8 million tonnes or 0.28 per cent — the lowest growth rate since 2015 — while US emissions rose by 16.2 million tonnes or 0.23 per cent, both remaining broadly flat. Mexico and Australia also recorded significant annual reductions of 7.2 million tonnes and 7 million tonnes respectively.

The rate of global emissions growth has slowed markedly, from a 2013-2023 annual average of 1.1 per cent to 0.5 per cent in 2025. Excluding the pandemic year, the last two years represent the lowest growth since 2015, the year of the Paris Agreement. Oil and gas production drove the largest sub-sector increase at 4.1 per cent, dominated by Russian output, with Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil also contributing. Climate TRACE warns that while clean energy uptake is beginning to moderate power sector emissions in some economies, continued fossil fuel production and transport growth are offsetting those gains at the global level.

Key figure — 60.63 billion tonnes CO2 equivalent — global GHG emissions record in 2025