Carbon intensity of electricity — all countries

Carbon intensity of electricity — European Union

Carbon intensity of electricity in the European Union in 2025 — 209 g/kWh. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 50.1%.

2025 209 g/kWh −1.09% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 424 g/kWh2003
Period minimum 209 g/kWh2025

Trend over time

2000–2025 · grams CO₂ per kWh

Carbon intensity of electricity — European Union, 2000–20252003004005002000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 419 g/kWh2001: 409 g/kWh2002: 420 g/kWh2003: 424 g/kWh2004: 412 g/kWh2005: 410 g/kWh2006: 409 g/kWh2007: 413 g/kWh2008: 392 g/kWh2009: 382 g/kWh2010: 369 g/kWh2011: 377 g/kWh2012: 372 g/kWh2013: 357 g/kWh2014: 343 g/kWh2015: 348 g/kWh2016: 341 g/kWh2017: 340 g/kWh2018: 321 g/kWh2019: 287 g/kWh2020: 261 g/kWh2021: 273 g/kWh2022: 292 g/kWh2023: 236 g/kWh2024: 212 g/kWh2025: 209 g/kWh
Change over the period: −210 (−50.07%) Average annual rate: -2.74 %
Carbon intensity of electricity — European Union, by year European Union All countries CSV XLSX
Year g/kWh Change Change, %
2025 209 −2 −1.09%
2024 212 −24 −10.37%
2023 236 −56 −19.06%
2022 292 +19 +6.99%
2021 273 +11 +4.34%
2020 261 −26 −9.11%
2019 287 −34 −10.56%
2018 321 −19 −5.63%
2017 340 −1 −0.3%
2016 341 −7 −1.98%
2015 348 +5 +1.59%
2014 343 −14 −3.99%
2013 357 −15 −3.97%
2012 372 −5 −1.27%
2011 377 +7 +1.98%
2010 369 −13 −3.41%
2009 382 −10 −2.54%
2008 392 −21 −5.01%
2007 413 +4 +1.07%
2006 409 −1 −0.3%
2005 410 −2 −0.51%
2004 412 −12 −2.88%
2003 424 +5 +1.09%
2002 420 +10 +2.57%
2001 409 −10 −2.37%
2000 419

About the indicator

Carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector per kilowatt-hour of generation. A single number into which the whole structure of generation folds: a coal plant gives about 820 grams per kilowatt-hour, a gas plant roughly 490, and nuclear, wind and solar single digits. The indicator therefore reads as a summary verdict on a power system and is especially useful for comparing countries with different generation mixes: one may have a lot of hydro and another nuclear, yet the result comes out close.

Important: Emissions from generating electricity are counted, without emissions from building the plants and extracting the fuel. Aggregates are weighted by generation and computed from 2000 onward.

Source: Yearly Electricity Data (Ember), license CC BY 4.0.