Carbon dioxide emissions in the European Union 1970-2020, by selected country

Germany produced 683.8 million metric tons of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) emissions in 2020. Although emissions in Germany have fallen considerably in recent decades, the country still has the largest CO2 emissions in the EU by far. In 2020, Germany produced more than twice the emissions released by the next most polluting member states – Italy, Poland, France, and Spain.

Coal emissions

Although the transition towards cleaner energy sources has helped Germany reduce its carbon footprint, it is still heavily reliant on coal. Coal is the most polluting fossil fuel, and one of the main reasons for Germany’s high emission levels. This is also the case in Poland, where 70 percent of the country’s electricity generation is coal-fired. Eight of the biggest carbon polluters in the EU are coal-fired power plants in Germany and Poland. The most polluting of all is the Bełchatów lignite-fired power plant in Poland.

COVID-19 impacts on EU emissions

Carbon dioxide emissions in the EU plummeted more than 13 percent in 2020 to 2.54 BtCO2. This was the lowest level recorded in the EU for more than 50 years and was a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since 1990, emissions in the EU have fallen by more than 30 percent.