EU: -1.6 per cent in GHG emissions by 2025; growth in cleantech but heavy reliance on imports

The EU’s net GHG emissions have fallen by 1.6 per cent compared with 2024 and are now 39 per cent below their 1990 level (whilst the EU economy has grown by 74 per cent). At this rate, the European Union could achieve a 54 per cent reduction by 2030 (compared with a legally binding target of 55 per cent), provided that all additional emission-reduction measures are implemented. These are the main findings of the 2026 report on the progress of the EU’s climate action, published by the European Commission on 9 November 2026.

The report also notes that emissions covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) fell by around 2 per cent in 2025, whilst emissions covered by the Effort Sharing Regulation remained broadly stable.

These advances are reflected in the figures: in 2025, wind and…