Independent · EDGAR v8.0 · Research-grade
Who emits the world's greenhouse gases?
Plain per-country, per-sector, per-year greenhouse-gas emissions from the EU EDGAR v8.0 dataset - 51 major economies, 7 IPCC sectors, 4 gases, 1970–2023. No spreadsheets, every figure traced to its source.
In 2023, the 51 economies tracked here emitted 47.1 Gt CO₂e. China and United States alone accounted for 47% of that total; the top three for 55%.
- 51
- Economies
- 7
- IPCC sectors
- 4
- Greenhouse gases
- 1970–2023
- Years covered
Start with a guide
Understanding CO₂-equivalent
GWP100 explained for non-specialists
EDGAR vs UNFCCC
Why datasets disagree on the same country
LULUCF: most-disputed sector
Where 50%+ dataset disagreement is normal
Climate TRACE explained
Satellite-derived emissions verification
Largest emitters, 2023 (Gt CO₂e)
Share of the 47.1 Gt emitted by the 51 economies tracked here
Greenhouse-gas emissions by economy, 2023 (area ∝ Mt CO₂e)
Top emitters in 2023: China 15.97 Gt, United States 5.97 Gt, India 4.14 Gt, Russia 2.66 Gt, Brazil 1.30 Gt, Indonesia 1.19 Gt, Japan 1.04 Gt, Iran 0.99 Gt - all figures EU EDGAR v8.0, 2023.
About this data
PlainEmissions presents the EU EDGAR v8.0 dataset, roughly 47.1 gigatonnes of 2023 CO₂-equivalent greenhouse-gas emissions across 51 major economies, broken out by IPCC sector (energy, industry, transport, buildings, agriculture, land use, waste) and by gas (CO₂, methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases). The loaded data spans 1970–2023.
EDGAR is a bottom-up, globally consistent model published by the European Commission's Joint Research Centre. It is one of several authoritative emissions datasets; the others, the World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal, Climate TRACE's satellite estimates, and UNFCCC national inventories, use different methods and can differ materially for a given country or sector. Rather than present any single number as ground truth, our research pages explain where these datasets diverge and why, so you can read EDGAR's figures with that context.
Compiled and maintained by the PlainEmissions team. Source provenance, vintage dates, and unit conversions are documented on the methodology page. For data corrections or licensing inquiries, see contact.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PlainEmissions?
PlainEmissions is a free, independent reference that makes global greenhouse-gas emissions data searchable and comparable. It is built on the EU EDGAR v8.0 dataset (Joint Research Centre) - a globally consistent, bottom-up estimate of emissions by country, IPCC sector, and gas, presented as plain per-country, per-sector, per-year pages instead of multi-gigabyte spreadsheets.
Where does the data come from?
Every figure currently on PlainEmissions is sourced from EU EDGAR v8.0 (the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research, published by the European Commission Joint Research Centre, CC BY 4.0). EDGAR is a bottom-up, globally consistent model covering all major economies. We also document three other authoritative datasets used by researchers, the World Bank Climate Knowledge Portal, Climate TRACE (satellite + ML), and UNFCCC national inventories, and explain on the research pages how their methods differ from EDGAR's.
Do different datasets disagree on the same country?
Yes, and it is informative. UNFCCC inventories are self-reported by governments using IPCC guidelines; EDGAR uses a globally consistent bottom-up model; Climate TRACE uses independent satellite measurements and machine learning. They can differ by 10–50% for a given country-sector, especially for land use (LULUCF) and methane. PlainEmissions's figures are EDGAR's; the research pages explain where and why these datasets diverge so you can read any single number in context.
Is this data free to use?
Yes. All emissions data on PlainEmissions is free to view and free to cite. EDGAR is published under CC BY 4.0, please credit "EU EDGAR v8.0 (European Commission, Joint Research Centre)" when you reuse a figure. Each country and sector page links back to the EDGAR source.
How current is the data?
PlainEmissions currently covers 1970–2023, with 2023 the most recent complete reporting year in EDGAR v8.0. EDGAR releases annually (typically Q3–Q4); the methodology page records the loaded vintage, and we refresh within four weeks of a major EDGAR release.