Malta leads the pack among EU countries for drop in emissions during first quarter of 2025

Malta recorded the steepest drop in greenhouse gas emissions among European Union member states in the first quarter of 2025, with a 6.2% reduction compared with the same period in 2024, according to Eurostat data published Tuesday.

The EU’s overall greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 900 million tonnes of CO2-equivalents (CO2-eq), up 3.4% from 871 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2024.

Over the same period, the bloc’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 1.2%.

Eurostat said the economic sectors driving the largest year-on-year increases were electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply, which rose by 13.6%, and households, which climbed 5.6%.

Emissions fell slightly in three sectors: manufacturing (-0.2%), transportation and storage (-2.9%) and agriculture, forestry and fishing (-1.4%).

Out of the EU’s 27 member states, 20 recorded higher emissions, while seven reduced theirs. After Malta, the biggest declines were registered in Finland (-4.4%) and Denmark (-4.3%).

Six countries: Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Poland, Hungary and Greece, posted increases of more than 5%.

Among the seven countries with declining emissions, three also recorded GDP contraction: Estonia, Latvia and Luxembourg.

The other four, Denmark, Finland, Malta and Sweden, managed to cut emissions while expanding their economies.