Climate TRACE reported that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the month of September 2025 totaled 4.94 billion tonnes CO₂e. This represents an increase of 0.66% vs. September 2024. Total global year-to-date emissions are 45.48 billion tonnes CO₂e. This is 0.96% higher than 2024’s year-to-date total. Global methane emissions in September 2025 were 34.43 million tonnes CH₄, an increase of 0.54% vs. September 2024.

Data tables summarizing GHG emissions totals by sector, country, and top 100 urban areas for September 2025 are available for download here. Climate TRACE monthly data releases now include data on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, in addition to monthly GHG emissions.

Lookback: Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Through Q3 2025

Climate TRACE data now cover global emissions through the end of Q3 2025. The sector that saw the greatest increase in emissions as compared to the same time period in 2024 was transportation, for which emissions rose by 3.55% (an increase of 244.47 million tonnes of CO₂e). The United States and China accounted for a third of that increase. Fossil fuel operations emissions also rose, growing by 2.07% as compared to the same period in 2024 (an increase of 149.66 million tonnes of CO₂e), led by increases in Russia, Kazakhstan, China, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil.

Meanwhile, global power sector emissions saw the biggest decline in the first three quarters of 2025 compared to the same time period in 2024, falling by 0.30% (a decrease of 35.68 million tonnes of CO₂e). The decrease was driven almost entirely by declines in China and India, where power emissions were 0.88% lower and 0.91% lower than their totals in the first three quarters of 2024, respectively.

Year-to-date emissions through Q3 2025 show small but positive progress on decarbonization in the Philippines, India, Vietnam, and South Africa:

However, some of the world’s other major emitting economies, including China, the US, the EU, Russia, Indonesia, and Brazil, saw year-to-date emissions rise in 2025:

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Country: September 2025

Climate TRACE’s preliminary estimate of September 2025 emissions in China, the world’s top emitting country, is 1.40 billion tonnes CO₂e, an increase of 5.27 million tonnes of CO₂e, or 0.38% vs. September 2024.

Of the other top five emitting countries:

In the EU, which as a bloc would be the fourth largest source of emissions in September 2025, emissions increased by 0.77 million tonnes CO₂e compared to September 2024, or 0.26%.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector: September 2025

Greenhouse gas emissions increased in September 2025 vs. September 2024 in transportation and waste, and decreased in agriculture. Waste saw the greatest change in emissions year over year, with emissions increasing by 4.08% as compared to September 2024.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by City: September 2025

The urban areas with the highest total GHG emissions in September 2025 were Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; Houston, United States; Los Angeles, United States; and New York, United States.

The urban areas with the greatest increases in absolute emissions in September 2025 as compared to September 2024 were Jakarta, Indonesia; Yogyakarta, Indonesia; Cairo, Egypt; Lima, Peru; and Surabaya, Indonesia. Those with the largest absolute emissions declines between this September and last September were Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Quezon City [Manila], Philippines; Accra, Ghana; Hanoi, Vietnam; and Bangkok, Thailand.

The urban areas with the greatest increases in emissions as a percentage of their total emissions were Nunukan, Indonesia; Baidi, China; Nouadhibou, Mauritania; Dongtou, China; and Arga Makmur, Indonesia. Those with the greatest decreases by percentage were Alotau, Papua New Guinea; Atebubu, Ghana; Yendi, Ghana; Gushiegu, Ghana; and Bawku, Ghana.

RELEASE NOTES

Revisions to existing Climate TRACE data are common and expected. They allow us to take the most up-to-date and accurate information into account. As new information becomes available, Climate TRACE will update its emissions totals (potentially including historical estimates) to reflect new data inputs, methodologies, and revisions.

With the addition of September 2025 data, the Climate TRACE database is now updated to version V5.1.0. Note: V5.0.0 launched at COP30 and now includes data on potential options for reducing emissions at every asset in the Climate TRACE database.

V5.1.0 includes new modeling of cropland fires, additional sources and updated emissions factors across multiple mining subsectors, updated estimates for solid waste disposal using more detailed input data, updated non-GHG emissions in petrochemical steam cracking, updated SO₂ and PM2.5 emissions globally, and updated GHG emissions in North America and Europe in the oil and gas transport and production sectors.