NextFin news, European wildfires during the summer of 2025 have released an unprecedented 12.9 megatons of carbon dioxide, marking the highest level of wildfire emissions recorded in the past 23 years, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service reported on Thursday, September 18, 2025.
The intense wildfire activity primarily affected the Iberian Peninsula, including Spain and Portugal, where fires in August accounted for approximately three-quarters of the total emissions. Additional significant fires occurred in Turkey, Cyprus, and several Balkan states, contributing to one of the most active forest fire seasons in southeastern Europe in recent years.
Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, emphasized that the emissions from these fires have surpassed previous records set in 2003 and 2017, which stood at 11.4 megatons. The total annual emissions for the European Union and the United Kingdom are projected to be the highest since records began, with the fire season still ongoing as of mid-September.
The record wildfire emissions coincide with a severe drought across Europe and the Mediterranean basin in August 2025, as analyzed by AFP using EU data. Scientists attribute the increased frequency and intensity of droughts and wildfires to climate change driven by human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels.
These wildfires not only release large amounts of carbon dioxide, a potent greenhouse gas, but also reduce the planet's capacity to absorb carbon by destroying forests and vegetation. The summer of 2025 also saw unusual Saharan dust events and heatwaves that increased ground-level ozone pollution across many European regions, further impacting air quality.
In addition to Europe, Canada experienced large wildfires lasting until early September 2025, resulting in the second-highest annual emissions on record for that country, with smoke plumes reaching Western Europe in August.
The Copernicus report highlights the growing environmental and climatic challenges posed by increasingly severe wildfire seasons in Europe and beyond, underscoring the urgent need for climate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
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