diff --git a/doc/release_notes.rst b/doc/release_notes.rst
index 0d1b7c746..8f93f3825 100644
--- a/doc/release_notes.rst
+++ b/doc/release_notes.rst
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ E.g. if a new rule becomes available describe how to use it `make test` and in o
 
 * Fix bugs in `prepare_sector_network.py` related to links with H2 buses and bug of re-addition of H2 and battery carriers in present `PR #1145 <https://github.com/pypsa-meets-earth/pypsa-earth/pull/1145>`_
 
+* Drop entries that contain non-string elements in country column of `CO2_emissions_csv` data in `prepare_transport_data_input.py` script `PR #1166 <https://github.com/pypsa-meets-earth/pypsa-earth/pull/1166>`_
+
 PyPSA-Earth 0.4.1
 =================
 
diff --git a/scripts/prepare_transport_data_input.py b/scripts/prepare_transport_data_input.py
index cffa163e2..93f570d70 100644
--- a/scripts/prepare_transport_data_input.py
+++ b/scripts/prepare_transport_data_input.py
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ def download_CO2_emissions():
     # Drop region names that have no ISO2:
     CO2_emissions = CO2_emissions[CO2_emissions.country != "not found"]
 
+    # Drop region names where country column contains list of countries
+    CO2_emissions = CO2_emissions[
+        CO2_emissions.apply(
+            lambda x: False if not isinstance(x.country, str) else True, axis=1
+        )
+    ]
+
     return CO2_emissions