Lower Clean Energy Output Boosts Europe’s Power Emissions
Carbon emissions from Europe’s power generators jumped in the first quarter of 2025 to the highest in two years as lower wind and solar output led to an increase in natural gas and coal plant utilization.
Europe’s power producers saw their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions jump to 390 million metric tons in the first quarter, up by 23.5 million tons from a year earlier. The January-March CO2 emission levels were the highest from the European power sector for any quarter since the beginning of 2023, according to data by energy think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland were the biggest contributors to the emissions increase as their gas and coal generation jumped to the highest levels in years amid low wind speeds and little sunshine in the first really cold winter in Europe for three years.
The surge in emissions bucks the trend of the past two years and is due to the slump in renewable energy output this winter.
Carbon emissions from Europe’s power generators jumped in the first quarter of 2025 to the highest in two years as lower wind and solar output led to an increase in natural gas and coal plant utilization.
Europe’s power producers saw their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions jump to 390 million metric tons in the first quarter, up by 23.5 million tons from a year earlier. The January-March CO2 emission levels were the highest from the European power sector for any quarter since the beginning of 2023, according to data by energy think tank Ember cited by Reuters columnist Gavin Maguire.
Germany, the Netherlands, the UK, and Poland were the biggest contributors to the emissions increase as their gas and coal generation jumped to the highest levels in years amid low wind speeds and little sunshine in the first really cold winter in Europe for three years.
The surge in emissions bucks the trend of the past two years and is due to the slump in renewable energy output this winter.
