US Accounted for One-Third of Global Carbon Emissions Increase in 2025: Report

The United States was responsible for about one-third of the global increase in carbon emissions in 2025, according to a new report by the Energy Institute produced in partnership with Ember, Kearney Institute, and KPMG. The report attributed the rise to higher natural gas prices, which prompted many power producers to switch back to coal for electricity generation.

The report found that US coal consumption increased by 10% during the year, reversing recent progress toward cleaner energy sources and contributing significantly to higher greenhouse gas emissions. The shift highlighted the impact of fuel price fluctuations on energy production and climate goals.

Globally, carbon emissions from the energy sector rose by 1.1% to 35.8 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide in 2025. More than one-third of that increase came from the United States, while North America experienced a rise in emissions despite a decade-long trend that had seen regional emissions decline by an average of 0.7% annually.