Global emissions break records
According to a report by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission, preliminary global greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 reached a historic peak – 1.3% increase compared to previous year. Five countries – China, the USA, India, Russia, and Indonesia – together accounted for almost 56% of global emissions. The largest emitter remains China (30%), with half of its emissions coming from the energy sector. India recorded the biggest increase – 165 million tons of CO₂ equivalent.
EU reduces, Slovakia stagnates
The European Union, with 7.1 tons of CO₂ equivalent per capita, reduced its emissions by 1.8% and has cut them by 35% since 1990. Slovakia produced 39 million tons of CO₂ equivalent, a 3% decrease, but still 7.2 tons per person. The main source of emissions remains industry, while transport has increased by 80% since 1990. The land use, land-use change, and forestry (LULUCF) sector was a net source of emissions in 2024 due to extensive wildfires. The JRC report emphasizes that to meet the Paris Agreement, global emissions must decrease by 42% by 2030. So far, however, the trend is rising.
Renewables rise in Europe, Slovakia falls behind
In the second quarter of 2025, renewable energy sources (RES) accounted for 54% of total electricity production in the EU – an increase of more than one percentage point compared to previous year. The main driver of growth was solar energy, which became the largest source of electricity in Europe for the first time in history in June 2025.
Slovakia, however, experienced the opposite trend – with a share of RES at only 19.9%, the lowest in the EU. Compared to previous year, this represents a sharp drop from nearly 31%, mainly due to drought and low river flows, which reduced hydroelectric output by 41%. Biomass also contributed slightly to the decline, although solar production grew by 20%. In the EU, solar, wind, and hydro plants dominated, with Denmark having the highest RES share (94.7%) and Slovakia the lowest.