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Ireland Meets EU Emissions Reduction Targets for All Five Major Air Pollutants

Date released: April 23, 2026

  • In 2024, Ireland was compliant with EU Emissions Reduction targets for all five major pollutants: ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. Consistent implementation of existing national policies is key to meeting 2030 targets.
  • Taking the long view, many pollutants have seen significant decreases since the 1990s. Particulate matter, which can have significant impacts on human health, is down by 67 per cent. Pollutants associated with acid rain have also reduced dramatically: sulphur dioxide is down by 96 per cent and nitrogen oxide is down by 67 per cent.
  • Ammonia emissions, which arise almost entirely from agriculture, remained within EU limits for the third consecutive year.
  • Reductions in sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter were largely driven by lower fossil fuel use in power generation and residential heating.

24th April 2026: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published its assessment of five key air pollutants which impact air quality, health and the environment for 2024. The pollutants are:

  • ammonia 
  • non-methane volatile organic compounds
  • sulphur dioxide
  • nitrogen oxides
  • fine particulate matter 

Agriculture accounts for over 99 per cent of ammonia emissions in Ireland and was previously non-compliant with EU targets in 2020 and 2021. The ongoing adoption of low-emission slurry spreading, in combination with a reduction of dairy cattle and other cattle numbers, has brought ammonia emissions into compliance with the EU Emission Reduction target for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. This reflects the impact of on-farm adoption of a range of good farming practices.

Commenting on the findings Roni Hawe, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment said:

“Ireland is on track to meet its 2030 EU Emissions Reduction targets for all five major air pollutants. The EPA’s assessment confirms that this progress is delivering clear benefits for air quality, human health and sensitive ecosystems, and shows that targeted policies and practical measures are achieving measurable reductions in emissions.” 

She added:

“Low-emission slurry spreading alone avoided an estimated 8,526 tonnes of ammonia being released to the atmosphere. That’s seven per cent of the national total, making it one of the most effective actions in reducing national ammonia emissions. Continued and wider adoption of these practices is essential to sustain progress on air quality.”

Beyond ammonia, Ireland is in compliance with EU Emission Reduction targets for the other air pollutants. In 2024, Sulphur dioxide decreased by 4.4 per cent; fine particulate matter by 1.9 per cent; nitrogen oxides by 1.3 per cent and non-methane volatile organic compounds by 1.0 per cent. Less fossil fuel use in power generation and residential heating has been key in reducing these emissions. 

Commenting on these findings Dr Tomás Murray, Senior Manager of EPA Emissions Statistics said: 

“This is good news. We can hit our 2030 air pollutant reduction goals if we stay on course with the National Air Pollution Control Programme. By moving away from fossil fuels to generate our electricity and continued adoption of a range of good farming practices, we aren't just achieving targets but also actively protecting our health and our environment.”

For further details on these figures, see the EPA report Ireland’s Air Pollutant Emissions: Trends and Outlook on the EPA website. 

Further information: Anna Phelan, EPA Media Relations Office 053-9170770 (24 hours) or media@epa.ie

Notes to Editor

UNECE Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP)

The LRTAP Convention of 1979 was the first international treaty to deal with air pollution on a broad regional basis. The signatories to the Convention agreed to the principles of international cooperation for air pollution abatement. The number of substances covered by the Convention and its protocols has been gradually extended over time, notably to include ground-level ozone, persistent organic pollutants, heavy metals and particulate matter. The Gothenburg Protocol sets out national commitments to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone. Ireland completed the signature and ratification of the Gothenburg Protocol (Decision 2012/3) on 17 April 2023, and it entered into force in July 2023. The amended Gothenburg Protocol (Annex II) under the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE, 2013) established emission reduction commitments (ERCs) for 2020 and onwards for five important air pollutants: nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and fine particulate matter. 

National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive

The European Union has set binding national emission reduction commitments for Ireland in the EU transposition of the Protocol, the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive. Directive (EU) 2016/2284 (replacing 2001/81/EC) ‘on the reduction of national emissions of certain atmospheric pollutants’ sets national emission reduction commitments for Member States and the EU for five important air pollutants: nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and fine particulate matter. The NEC Directive, which entered into force in December 2016, sets 2020 and 2030 emission reduction commitments for five main air pollutants.

 Five main air pollutants

  • Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is the major precursor to acid deposition (including “acid rain”), which is associated with the acidification of soils and surface waters and the accelerated corrosion of buildings and monuments. Emissions of SO2 are derived from the sulphur in fossil fuels such as coal and oil used in combustion activities.
  • Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) contribute to acidification of soils and surface waters, tropospheric ozone formation and nitrogen saturation in terrestrial ecosystems.  Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is also associated with diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. Power generation plants and motor vehicles are the principal sources of nitrogen oxides, through high-temperature combustion.
  • Ammonia (NH3) emissions are associated with acid deposition and the formation of secondary particulate matter. The agriculture sector accounts for virtually all (99 per cent) of ammonia emissions in Ireland.
  • Non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) are emitted as gases by a wide array of products including paints, paint strippers, glues, cleaning agents and adhesives. They also arise as a product of incomplete combustion of fuels, from the storage and handling of animal manure and fertilisers in agriculture and from spirit production.
  • Fine particulate matter (such as dust) of a diameter less than 2.5 micrometres is termed PM2.5. Sources include vehicle exhaust emissions, soil and road surfaces, construction works and industrial emissions and agriculture. Particulate matter can be formed from reactions between different pollutant gases and is responsible for significant negative impacts on human health.

In 2023, Ireland was one of nine EU Member states issued with a reasoned opinion calling on countries to respect their emission reduction commitments as required by Directive 2016/2284. In Ireland’s case the letter related to the exceedance of the 2020 emission reduction commitment for ammonia and the reasoned opinion related to exceedances in 2020 and 2021 of the reduction commitments for ammonia.