US Drives Nearly Half of Global CO2 Emissions Rise in 2025 as Fossil Fuels Remain Dominant

The 75th Statistical Review of World Energy shows world energy demand reached 600.3 exajoules in 2025, a 1.7% increase over 2024. Fossil fuels supplied 86% of primary energy – oil 33.5%, coal 27.6%, natural gas 25.1% – while renewables contributed only about 3.3% (wind 1.6%, solar 1.7%). The European Union’s energy use fell by roughly 1% per year, whereas the Asia‑Pacific region grew by 2.6% annually.

The United States accounted for 47% of the global rise in CO₂ emissions in 2025. U.S. emissions grew 3.2%, driven by a 13% jump in coal‑power generation and a 3% increase in overall electricity demand. AI‑driven data centers consumed about 40% of worldwide data‑center electricity, adding significantly to the emissions surge. Although renewable generation increased nearly 10% in percentage terms, the absolute addition was modest compared with the overall energy growth.

These figures underscore that, despite rapid renewable expansion, the world remains heavily dependent on fossil fuels, with the U.S. playing a disproportionate role in the recent emissions increase.