Key facts
- North America accounted for 47% of the global increase in carbon dioxide emissions in 2025.
- Global energy demand rose 1.4% in 2025, while renewable energy supply increased by nearly 10%.
- Fossil fuels still supplied approximately 86% of global total energy in 2025.
- U.S. emissions increased by 3.2% in 2025, driven by a rebound in coal-fired electricity generation.
- The U.S. accounted for 40% of global data center electricity consumption in 2025.
The world continues to increase clean energy capacity at an impressive rate, but rising global energy demand means fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions are still growing, according to the 2026 Statistical Review of World Energy. In 2025, global total energy supply increased by 1.4%, with renewables growing by nearly 10% in percentage terms but only contributing 3.2 exajoules to the total 8.1 exajoules increase. Fossil fuels, meanwhile, increased by 4.6 exajoules, accounting for more than half of the total energy supply growth and maintaining an 86% share of the global energy mix.
North America was a significant contributor to the rise in emissions, responsible for 47% of the global increase in carbon dioxide emissions in 2025. U.S. emissions rose 3.2%, driven by a 13% increase in coal-fired generation and a 3% rise in electricity demand. The U.S. also accounted for 40% of global data center electricity consumption, highlighting the energy footprint of digital infrastructure. Despite strong growth in solar power and battery capacity, clean energy expansion did not outpace demand and fossil fuel use.
The report also highlights North America's energy abundance, with oil and natural gas supplying over three-quarters of the region's energy. The U.S. remains the world's largest oil and gas producer and a major exporter of LNG and oil products. This contrasts with Europe's import-dependent energy situation. However, this energy abundance in North America means the region faces challenges in rapidly reducing emissions unless low-carbon energy scales faster than demand.
Globally, Asia Pacific remains the largest energy-consuming region, led by China, while Europe's energy supply was largely flat. The review emphasizes that energy transitions are diverging globally, shaped by regional resources, politics, and economic development. Solar power continues its strong growth trajectory, but the broader energy system's ability to adapt and displace fossil fuels remains a key challenge for the energy transition.