Cyprus balances environmental goals with economic expansion

Greenhouse gas emissions in the European Union fell slightly in the second quarter of 2025, continuing the trend of reducing emissions while maintaining economic growth. Eurostat reported that EU emissions reached 772 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalents—0.4% lower than the same period in 2024—while the EU economy grew by 1.3%. This shows the bloc is increasingly managing to decouple economic expansion from environmental impact.

Several key sectors contributed to the decline, including electricity and gas supply, which saw the largest drop at 2.9%, as well as manufacturing and transportation, both falling by 0.4%. However, household emissions rose by 1%. Across member states, emissions decreased in 12 countries, increased in 14, and remained unchanged in Estonia.

Cyprus was among the standout performers, achieving both lower emissions and economic growth—placing it alongside Austria, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Slovenia and Sweden. This positions Cyprus as one of the member states successfully balancing environmental goals with economic development, a priority increasingly emphasised in EU climate policy.