Governments are failing to rein in emissions from their own power plants, analysis finds

World leaders gathered at the United Nations climate summit in November 2026 are grappling with the challenge of ensuring that countries fulfill their commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, new research highlights a significant obstacle to achieving these global goals: government-owned power plants. My team analyzed carbon dioxide emissions from thousands of fossil-fueled power plants across 134 countries, and our findings reveal a troubling trend.

Government-owned power plants, which control nearly two-thirds of the world's electricity-generating capacity, were responsible for 69% of the carbon emissions. These plants emitted roughly 910,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, which is three times the average for investor-owned plants and over eight times the average for cooperatively owned plants.

Despite countries adopting various pricing, regulatory, and subsidy measures to curb emissions, government-owned power plants were the slowest to cut their emissions in response to these policies. This discrepancy raises questions about the effectiveness of climate policies when implemented by governments that own the plants. Government ownership of power plants creates competing pressures, such as the need to provide affordable electricity, support job growth, and generate tax revenue.

In countries reliant on fossil fuel extraction, political pressure may also exist to keep coal and gas facilities operational. Our study suggests that to effectively limit global warming, governments must go beyond merely enacting climate policies and ensure that their own power plants translate these policies into meaningful emissions cuts.