This paper, published in *Nature*, estimates global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from inland waters, a significant component of the global carbon cycle. The authors address the lack of a comprehensive framework for estimating inland water surface area and gas transfer velocity, which has hindered previous global estimates. They report regional variations in these parameters and provide global CO₂ evasion rates of 1.8 Pg C yr⁻¹ from streams and rivers and 0.32 Pg C yr⁻¹ from lakes and reservoirs, resulting in a total global evasion rate of 2.1 Pg C yr⁻¹. The study highlights hotspots of CO₂ evasion in streams and rivers, with about 70% of the flux occurring over just 20% of the land surface. The source of inland water CO₂ remains uncertain, and the authors call for further research to understand the mechanisms controlling CO₂ evasion globally. The paper also discusses the importance of inland waters in the global carbon budget and the need for improved data and methods to refine estimates.This paper, published in *Nature*, estimates global carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from inland waters, a significant component of the global carbon cycle. The authors address the lack of a comprehensive framework for estimating inland water surface area and gas transfer velocity, which has hindered previous global estimates. They report regional variations in these parameters and provide global CO₂ evasion rates of 1.8 Pg C yr⁻¹ from streams and rivers and 0.32 Pg C yr⁻¹ from lakes and reservoirs, resulting in a total global evasion rate of 2.1 Pg C yr⁻¹. The study highlights hotspots of CO₂ evasion in streams and rivers, with about 70% of the flux occurring over just 20% of the land surface. The source of inland water CO₂ remains uncertain, and the authors call for further research to understand the mechanisms controlling CO₂ evasion globally. The paper also discusses the importance of inland waters in the global carbon budget and the need for improved data and methods to refine estimates.