May 28, 2026 -- Today, Climate TRACE reported that global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the month of March 2026 totaled 5.1 billion tonnes CO₂e. This represents a decrease of 0.1% vs. March 2025. Total global year-to-date emissions are 15.2 billion tonnes CO₂e. This is 0.1% lower than 2025's year-to-date total. Global methane emissions in March 2026 were 33.0 million tonnes CH₄, unchanged from March 2025.

Data tables summarizing GHG and primary particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions totals by sector, country, and the top 100 urban areas for March 2026 are available for download here.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Country: March 2026

Climate TRACE's preliminary estimate of March 2026 emissions in China, the world's top emitting country, is 1.5 billion tonnes CO₂e, a decline of 11.6 million tonnes of CO₂e, or 0.8% vs. March 2025.

Of the other top five emitting countries:

• United States emissions increased by 2.4 million tonnes CO₂e, or 0.4% year over year;

• India emissions declined by 4.0 million tonnes CO₂e, or 1.1% year over year;

• Russia emissions declined by 0.9 million tonnes CO₂e, or 0.3% year over year;

• Indonesia emissions increased by 0.3 million tonnes CO₂e, or 0.2% year over year.
  In the EU, which as a bloc would be the fourth largest source of emissions in March 2026, emissions declined by 0.4 million tonnes CO₂e compared to March 2025, or 0.1%.

Data on all other countries and territories are available in our Country/Territory Inventory.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Sector: March 2026

Greenhouse gas emissions increased in March 2026 vs. March 2025 in buildings and power, and decreased in fossil fuel operations, manufacturing, and transportation. Manufacturing saw the greatest change in emissions year over year, with emissions decreasing by 1.3% as compared to March 2025.

• Agriculture emissions were 586.1 million tonnes CO₂e, unchanged vs. March 2025;

• Buildings emissions were 383.8 million tonnes CO₂e, a 0.7% increase vs. March 2025;

• Fluorinated gases emissions were 145.0 million tonnes CO₂e, unchanged vs. March 2025;

• Fossil fuel operations emissions were 784.6 million tonnes CO₂e, a 0.0% unchanged vs. March 2025;

• Manufacturing emissions were 885.4 million tonnes CO₂e, a 1.3% decrease vs. March 2025;

• Mineral extraction emissions were 17.6 million tonnes CO₂e, unchanged vs. March 2025;

• Power emissions were 1,330.8 million tonnes CO₂e, a 0.4% increase vs. March 2025;

• Transportation emissions were 773.9 million tonnes CO₂e, a 0.5% decrease vs. March 2025;

• Waste emissions were 169.9 million tonnes CO₂e, unchanged vs. March 2025.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions by City: March 2026

The urban areas with the highest total GHG emissions in March 2026 were Shanghai, China; Tokyo, Japan; New York, United States; Los Angeles, United States; and Houston, United States.

The urban areas with the greatest increases in absolute emissions in March 2026 as compared to March 2025 were Pohang-si, South Korea; Jamshedpur, India; Katowice, Poland; Gangcheng, China; and Opole, Poland. Those with the largest absolute emissions declines between this March and last March were Nanjing, China; Lanshan, China; Anshan, China; Toranagallu, India; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

The urban areas with the greatest increases in emissions as a percentage of their total emissions were Butibori, India; Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Uruguaiana, Brazil; Chonnae, North Korea; and Shawan, China. Those with the greatest decreases by percentage were Karewa, Cameroon; Ipatinga, Brazil; Ocumare del Tuy, Venezuela; Monclova, México; and Sault Ste. Marie, Canada.

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 March 2026 data, the Climate TRACE database is now updated to version V5.7.0. This release includes a methodology improvement for US oil and gas production and transport, using monthly production data directly rather than extrapolating from annual data, improving accuracy. Electricity marginal emissions rates are also rebaselined from 2024 to 2025, and non-GHG emissions for 41 CEDS-derived sectors (missing in V5.5.0 and V5.6.0) now extend through March 2026. Other changes include the addition of monthly country-level iron-and-steel emissions back to 2015; updated 2026 aluminum capacity values across all assets using the latest Light Metal Age dataset; and updated technology metadata for 2,017 EU domestic wastewater assets from the European Environment Agency.

A detailed description of data updates is available in our changelog here.

To learn more about what is included in our monthly data releases and for frequently asked questions, click here.

All methodologies for Climate TRACE data estimates are available to view and download here.

For any further technical questions about data updates, please contact: coalition@ClimateTRACE.org.

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