The Jeffrey Energy Center coal-fired power plant seen in January 2026 in Topeka, Kan. Coal burning contributed to a significant increase in U.S. greenhouse gas emissions last year, according to a new United Nations report.
Charlie Riedel/AP
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Charlie Riedel/AP
Countries are not doing enough to reduce emissions that cause climate change, according to a new report by United Nations scientists. And the United States is a big part of the problem.
The United States stands out as the only major economy where pollution linked to global warming increased significantly last year, the report noted.
It reveals that last year, the United States tied with Russia as the G20 country with the most per capita emissions of carbon dioxide and other gases harmful to the planet. China emits far more greenhouse gases each year than the United States, but its population is four times larger.
Overall, global emissions were basically the same last year as the year before.
U.S. emissions have increased due to increased demand for electricity, as well as Trump administration policies that support the burning of fossil fuels. The Trump administration has ordered coal-fired power plants in the United States to stay open longer than planned, canceled energy efficiency standards for vehicles and the end of tax credits for solar and wind projects.
These policies have made the United States an outlier when it comes to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, says Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program.
“Right now, everyone is struggling a little bit when it comes to energy security,” Andersen says, pointing to global oil and gas disruptions resulting from the wars in Ukraine and Iran.
Despite geopolitical upheavals, “several G20 members have demonstrated sustained reductions in their emissions,” she notes.
This includes the European Union, which has invested heavily in energy-efficient appliances and renewable electricity sources such as wind and solar power, in part in reaction to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
US withdraws from UN climate work
The Trump administration withdrew from the 2015 Paris Climate Accord and is working to remove the United States from all U.N. climate work, arguing that the international system requires it. unjust burdens on the Americans. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now says greenhouse gases do not pose a threat to human health and well-being, reversing its previous position.
The new report includes a statement from the U.S. government, saying the United States “does not endorse or accept its analysis or conclusions, and has not provided comments on this report.” The U.S. State Department did not respond to NPR’s questions.
The new report, written annually by an international group of scientists, comes less than a month before global climate talks begin in Turkey. World leaders will meet to discuss how to accelerate investments in clean energy and finance the costs of tackling climate change. The Trump administration will not participate in these negotiations.
Yet whether U.S. leaders formally participate in international climate efforts or not, the effects of America’s dependence on oil, gas and coal are being felt around the world, the UN warns. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, trapping additional heat that warms the entire planet. The effects of all this pollution are felt on a global scale.
The Earth is on average about 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) warmer than it was in the mid-1800s, according to the World Meteorological Organization. This warming is leading to widespread disasters, from deadly heat waves and floods to more intense storms and wildfires.
“All countries, especially large emitters, must do more,” said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. “Every fraction of a degree counts.”
Earth is on track for 5 degrees Fahrenheit of warming this century
Currently, the planet is on track for more than 5 degrees Fahrenheit (2.8 degrees Celsius) of warming this century, which would cause catastrophic impactssuch as massive sea level rise and mass extinction of plants and animals, the report warns.
The UN Paris climate agreement sets a goal of limiting warming to well below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit (2 degrees Celsius), in hopes of avoiding such cataclysms.
This is the first year that the annual report has acknowledged that even lower targets are now out of reach. However, the study finds that it is still possible to keep warming below 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, if global greenhouse gas emissions decline by about 25% over the next decade.
But countries are currently far behind on this goal.
Under the Paris Agreement, around two-thirds of countries have submitted formal, up-to-date plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. If they follow through on all these plans, it would reduce emissions by about 15% over the next decade, far less than the 25% needed.
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