Greenhouse gas emissions lowest in three decades | BreakingNews.ie

Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions last year were the lowest in three decades, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 6.8 per cent in 2023, with reductions in almost all sectors.

This is the lowest that greenhouse gas emissions have been in three decades.

Emissions data show the largest single-year reductions in the energy and agriculture sectors and the lowest level of residential emissions since 1990, while transport emissions were below pre-Covid levels.

Power generation emissions decreased by 21.6 per cent while agriculture emissions decreased by 4.6 per cent.

Residential emissions decreased by 7.1 per cent while emissions per capita decreased from 11.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per person to 10.4 tonnes in 2023.

However, transport emissions increased marginally by 0.3 per cent.

The figures come in the EPA’s provisional greenhouse gas emissions figures for 2023.

In total, 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted, excluding emissions from Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).

The assessment shows that Ireland complied with its EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) commitments for 2021-2023, with the use of allowed flexibilities.

However, the figures show that 2023 greenhouse gas emissions were still only 10.1 per cent below 2005 levels, well short of Ireland’s EU Effort Sharing reduction commitment of 42 per cent by 2030.

When considered under the national commitments of the Climate Act 2015, the EPA says reductions are still “well off” the target of a 51 per cent reduction by 2030.

It said there was a need to achieve an “extremely challenging annual reduction” of 8.3 per cent for each of the years 2024 and 2025 if Ireland is to stay within the first Carbon Budget.

Commenting on the report Laura Burke, director general, EPA said: “These are significant findings that signal the impact of climate action and decarbonisation measures across Ireland’s economy and society.

“We see the impact of more renewables and interconnection powering electricity, less fossil fuel use in home heating, reduced nitrogen fertiliser use in agriculture and more biofuel in transport.

She added: “The data indicates a move towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions at the scale and pace required to meet our climate ambition of a 51 per cent reduction by 2030.

“However, while these are positive results for the year 2023, we are still well off track in terms of meeting EU and national 2030 targets. We need to maintain and further build momentum.”