The European Union continues to demonstrate a steady reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. According to the European Commission, by 2025, emissions in sectors covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) have decreased by 1.3%. Since the inception of this system, which has been in operation for two decades, emissions in the relevant sectors have halved.
This is reported by Finway
“In Brussels, it is believed that this trend brings the EU closer to achieving its climate goal for 2030 — a 62% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.”
Achievements in Renewable Energy
The energy sector shows particularly positive dynamics. Specifically, emissions from fossil fuel energy production decreased by 0.4% in 2025. This occurred even as the total production of “dirty” electricity increased by 3.5%. Significant growth was noted in natural gas electricity generation — up by 11.4%.
At the same time, coal energy continues to reduce its emissions, demonstrating a decrease of 6.8% over the year. Concurrently, the development of renewable energy is gaining momentum. The production of “green” electricity increased by 1.7% over the past year. The share of renewable sources in the structure of consumed electricity reached 47.3% in 2025, slightly higher than in 2024 (47.2%).
Solar energy has become the most dynamic sector in this segment, showing a growth of 24.6%. It compensated for a slight decline in the wind and hydro energy sectors, which were affected by weak winds and reduced precipitation. For the first time in history, solar generation surpassed hydro energy and ranked second among renewable sources after wind energy.
Reduction of Emissions in Industry and Transport
Industrial enterprises, especially energy-intensive sectors covered by the EU ETS, also demonstrate a reduction in emissions — by 2.5% over the year. The most significant contributions to this were made by the cement industry, steel, and iron production. Experts explain this trend as a result of decreased economic activity, primarily in the cement sector, as well as the gradual transition of industry to the use of clean energy sources.
In the transport sector, the situation is heterogeneous. Specifically, maritime transport reduced its emissions by 3%. At the same time, the aviation sector is experiencing an increase in emissions, which is related to a revival in air transport volumes compared to 2024.