World Energy Statistics 2026: Global Emissions Report
The Institute of Energy has released the World Energy Statistics 2026 report, published in collaboration with Ember and in coordination with KPMG and Kearney. This statistical report, previously published by BP for over 70 years, remains one of the most important annual references for global energy data.
Key Emission Data Highlights
This year, we begin with emission data, as it reflects the central contradiction within the global energy system. Clean energy is growing rapidly; solar and wind power continue to scale up. However, global greenhouse gas emissions from energy, industrial processes, and methane related to fossil fuel production and distribution have still reached a new record high.
New Emission Records
Global CO2 equivalent emissions have increased from 40.7 billion tons in 2024 to 41.0 billion tons in 2025, with an increase of approximately 331 million tons. According to the Statistical Report's adjustments, global emissions have increased by 1.1% over the past year, exceeding the 10-year average of 0.9%.
| Year | CO2-eq Emissions (Billion Tons) | Growth (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 40.5 | N/A |
| 2023 | 40.7 | 0.5 |
| 2024 | 40.7 | 0.0 |
| 2025 | 41.0 | 1.1 |
The data in this section is broader than just CO2 from fuel combustion. The Statistical Report's CO2 equivalent chain includes energy-related emissions, emissions from industrial processes, and emissions and methane related to the production, transportation, and distribution of fossil fuels. This difference means that emission trends cannot be explained by looking only at power plants and transportation.
United States Situation
North America accounted for 47.1% of the global increase in emissions in 2025, despite representing only 15.6% of total global emissions. The United States was the main contributor. US emissions increased from 5.1 billion tons in 2024 to 5.3 billion tons in 2025, an increase of approximately 147 million tons.
Energy Fluctuations
This increase occurred against a backdrop of rising energy demand and the recovery of electricity production from coal. US electricity generation increased by approximately 133 terawatt-hours in 2025, of which renewable energy electricity generation increased by nearly 99 terawatt-hours.
| Energy Type | Change (TWh) |
|---|---|
| Renewable Energy | +99 |
| Coal | +91 |
| Natural Gas | -67 |
China's Situation
China remains the world's largest emitter with 12.5 billion tons of CO2 equivalent, accounting for 30.5% of the global total. However, China's emission growth has nearly stalled in 2025, increasing by only about 4 million tons.
China's Electricity Data
China's electricity generation increased by approximately 488 terawatt-hours in 2025, but renewable energy electricity generation increased by approximately 478 terawatt-hours.
India and Developing Nations
India also shows a clear slowdown. India's CO2 equivalent emissions increased from 3.26 billion tons in 2024 to 3.28 billion tons in 2025, a much slower increase than in previous years.
Global Emission Statistics
| Region | CO2-eq Emissions (Billion Tons) | Growth Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|
| Non-OECD | 70.5 | 16.7 |
| OECD | 29.5 | -0.5 |
Overview
The 2025 emission data tells a more complex story than in recent years. In fact, renewable energy is developing rapidly. However, the energy transition is not yet fast enough to reduce global emissions.
The sharp increase in emissions in the United States and the slowdown in China are important findings in this year's data. Although the world added more clean electricity in 2025, total CO2 equivalent emissions still reached a new record.
This is the challenge of the energy transition: clean energy is growing rapidly, but the overall energy system is not decarbonizing fast enough.