US Contributes 30% of Global Carbon Emissions Growth in 2025
The United States represented approximately one-third of the increase in global carbon emissions in 2025, driven by elevated petrol prices that compelled power producers to revert to coal, according to a report. Presented below are the key findings from the report: US coal consumption increased by 10 percent last year, marking a reversal in the trend towards cleaner fuels and contributing to a rise in overall emissions. Global carbon emissions from the energy sector increased by 1.1 percent, reaching 35,806 million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide.
More than a third of this increase originated from the US; North America’s rise contradicted the decade-long trend of emissions decreasing by 0.7 percent. Global energy-related demand persisted in its upward trajectory. Total energy supply rose 1.7 percent from 2024, with renewables contributing the largest share of that increase. Renewable power generation experienced an increase of 9.1 per cent, primarily driven by a remarkable 30 percent rise in solar energy. In 2025, carbon emissions from the energy sector in Europe experienced a rise of 0.5 percent, whereas China saw an increase of 0.7 percent. Electricity demand experienced a year-on-year increase of 3 per cent, outpacing supply. This surge can be attributed to the growing influence of electric vehicles, data centres, and advancements in artificial intelligence.
Global oil consumption increased by 1.3 percent in 2025, reaching 103 million barrels per day, in contrast to a 1.1 percent rise in 2024, while production expanded by 3.5 percent. In China, the consumption of petrol and diesel experienced a decline last year, continuing a trend observed in 2024. Petrol demand growth was primarily observed in Europe, West Asia, and North America, with Europe and India depending on imports for almost fifty percent of their supply.
