EU Emissions Trading System Sustains Downward Trend in Emissions

The European Commission has published the verified EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) emissions data for 2025 showing a -1.3% reduction in ETS emissions, compared to 2024 levels.

This reduction continues the steady downward trend of emissions. Since the ETS was launched in 2005, the system has halved emissions in the sectors it covers. It remains on track to achieve the 2030 target of a 62% reduction.

For maritime, the reported data so far shows that emissions from the sector fell by around 3%.

Emissions from power generation through combustion of fossil fuels continued their downward trend, falling by -0.4% in 2025, while EU net electricity generation increased modestly growing by 1.7% compared to the year before.

The share of renewable electricity in total power generation mix saw a small uptick in 2025 – 47.3% compared to 47.2% in 2024. Solar power experienced the biggest growth in 2025, with 24.6% year-on-year increase.

This significant growth in solar electricity generation also counteracted a downtick in wind and hydro-electricity production in 2025 due to lower wind speeds and lower rainfall in Northern Europe.

These same conditions, combined with continued growth in solar capacity, boosted solar generation to the point where it overtook