Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions decrease by 2.2% in 2025
Date released: July 07, 2026
- Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 2.2% (-1.2 Mt CO2eq) in 2025.
- All main sectors saw reductions in 2025, with the largest reductions observed in the Energy industries (down 7.1% or 0.51 Mt CO2eq), Buildings (down 4.7% or 0.32 Mt CO2eq), Industry (down 3.3% or 0.20 Mt CO2eq) and Transport (down 1.5% or 0.17 Mt CO2eq).
- Provisionally, Ireland is under its first Carbon Budget by 1.1 Mt CO2eq. Energy Industries and Buildings sectors are meeting their sectoral ceilings. Two sectors, Transport and Industry, exceeded their ceilings by 8.1% and 9.1% respectively.
- While greenhouse gases are declining overall, compliance with national and EU climate targets remains extremely challenging.
- The national gap: Ireland’s national target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% in 2030 (compared to 2018). As of 2025, emissions have fallen by 14.5%.
- The EU gap: under EU legislation, Ireland must reduce greenhouse gas emissions in key sectors, such as Agriculture, Transport and Buildings, by 42% in 2030 (compared to 2005). As of 2025, a reduction of 12% has been achieved.
8th July 2026: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has today published its provisional greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland for 2025. The figures show a reduction of 2.2% or 1.2 Mt CO2eq compared to 2024, with emission reductions across all the main sectors. However, greenhouse gas emissions now need to decrease by over 10% each year to 2030 for Ireland to meet our national climate target of a 51% reduction on 2018 levels.
Commenting on the report Dr Eimear Cotter, EPA Director General, said:
“This is the fourth year in a row that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions have reduced which is welcome in the context of a growing economy and population. However, with just four years to 2030, Ireland needs to accelerate delivery and achieve much deeper annual reductions to meet our climate targets.”
She added,
“The evidence shows that clear prioritisation and sustained investment can deliver emissions reductions. Since 2005, emissions covered by the Emissions Trading System, including large point sources such as power generation, have fallen by over 52%. By contrast, greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture, Transport and Buildings have collectively fallen by only 12%. This highlights the key challenge for Ireland to reduce emissions from dispersed emission sources. The priority now is to accelerate delivery in these sectors by removing barriers and making low-carbon choices practical, affordable and attractive.”
In terms of EU targets, the assessment shows that Ireland has not met its EU Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) commitments in 2025, even with the use of flexibilities. 2025 greenhouse gas emissions were 12% below 2005 levels, well short of Ireland’s EU Effort Sharing reduction commitment of 42% by 2030.
Regarding compliance with national climate commitments, the assessment shows that greenhouse gas emissions (including LULUCF) are 14.5% lower than in 2018, well off track for the national climate ambition of a 51% reduction by 2030.
A summary of the trends from key sectors:
Energy Industries: Emissions from energy industries decreased for the fourth consecutive year by 7.1% in 2025, to an all-time low of 6.6 Mt CO2eq. This was due to the large share of energy generation coming from renewables (40.6%) in combination with an increase in the share of imported electricity (16.4% of electricity supply in 2025 compared to 14.1% in 2024).
Transport: Emissions from transport decreased for the second year in a row by 1.5% or 0.17 Mt CO2eq following a 1.2% decrease in 2024. A 14.9% increase in the use of biofuels along with a 35.4% increase in electricity consumption for road transport contributed to reduced emissions in 2025.
Agriculture: Agriculture emissions decreased slightly by 0.2% or 0.04 Mt CO2eq in 2025. This was primarily due to a 3.3% reduction in cattle numbers offset by a 12.7% increase in nitrogen fertiliser use and a 4.8% increase in milk production.
Buildings (Residential, Commercial and Public): Emissions from buildings decreased by 4.7% due to a warmer winter and decreased use of fossil fuels. Emissions within the Residential sector have fallen to their lowest level in over three decades. Currently standing at 2.7 t CO2eq per household, this figure represents a substantial decline from the 1990 baseline of 7.5 t CO2eq.
Industry: Manufacturing combustion and industrial processes emissions decreased by 3.3% to 6.0 Mt CO2eq in 2025 due to marked reductions in coal (down 25.5%), oil (down 6.2%) and gas (down 2.7%) usage. Total emissions from the cement sector decreased by 3.6% or 0.1 Mt CO2eq in line with a reduction in clinker production.
Provisionally, Ireland is under its first Carbon Budget by 1.1 Mt CO2eq. The assessment also reports on Sectoral Ceiling performance for 2021-2025, with several sectors such as Energy Industries and Buildings meeting or coming within their ceiling. Two sectors, Transport and Industry, exceeded their ceilings by 8.1% and 9.1% respectively. A direct comparison of the Agriculture sector against its absolute Sectoral Emission Ceiling is no longer possible given recent scientific updates to baseline historical agriculture emissions.
Dr Conor Quinlan, EPA Programme Manager, commented:
“Sectoral ceilings are intended to make climate progress measurable and accountable. The fact that some sectors, such as Energy Industries and Buildings, are provisionally on track is encouraging, but the overshoots in Transport and Industry show that the overall carbon budget remains at risk unless delivery strengthens across all sectors.”
The Greenhouse Gas Emission Inventory 1990 to 2025 is available on the EPA website and the EPA Greenhouse Gas web resource is also available online.
Further information: Anna Phelan, EPA Media Relations Office 053-9170770 (24 hours) or media@epa.ie
Notes to Editor
Provisional national total emissions (including LULUCF) were 55.16 Mt CO2 eq in 2025, 14.5% below 2018 reference year for Ireland’s national climate objective.
This publication provides early insight into the annual greenhouse gas emissions in advance of final data being submitted to the EU and UN in 2027. The report will facilitate the monitoring and reporting processes associated with the National Climate Objective and associated Carbon budgets, annual review of the Climate Action Plan and greater level of sectoral reporting.
2025 is the fifth year over which compliance with targets set in the Effort Sharing Regulation (ESR) will be assessed. This Regulation sets 2030 targets for emissions outside of the Emissions Trading Scheme (known as ESR emissions) and annual binding national limits for the period 2021-2030. Ireland’s target is to reduce ESR emissions by 42% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels, with a number of flexibilities available to assist in achieving this.
An overview of changes in emissions since the previous year is presented in Table 1 and distance to EU targets in Table 2. More trend figures, tables and background information are available in the published report. Final figures will be submitted to the EU and UN in March and April 2027 in line with the agreed reporting timetable.
Table 1. Provisional greenhouse gas emissions for 2024 and 2025 for Ireland
| Million tonnes C02 eq | 2024 | 2025 | % Change 2024-2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 20.436 | 20.398 | -0.2% |
| Transport | 11.782 | 11.608 | -1.5% |
| Energy Industries | 7.095 | 6.590 | -7.1% |
| Residential | 5.486 | 5.212 | -5.0% |
| Manufacturing Combustion | 4.332 | 4.162 | -3.9% |
| Industrial Processes | 1.867 | 1.834 | -1.8% |
| F-gases | 0.603 | 0.636 | 5.4% |
| Commerical Services | 0.742 | 0.712 | -4.0% |
| Public Services | 0.700 | 0.679 | -3.0% |
| Waste | 0.823 | 0.820 | -0.4% |
| LULUCF | 2.514 | 2.514* | 0.0% |
| National total excluding LULUCF | 53.866 | 52.650 | -2.3% |
| National total including LULUCF | 56.380 | 55.164 | -2.2% |
* LULUCF data for 2025 Provisional Inventory are 2024 Final Inventory estimates; these will be updated for the 1990-2025 Final Inventory published in 2027.
Table 2. Compliance with EU Effort Sharing Regulation Targets 2021-2025
| Kilotonnes C02 eq | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total greenhouse gas emissions without LULUCF | 60,180 | 58,951 | 54,919 | 53,966 | 52,650 |
| - Total verified emissions from stationary installations under Directive 2003/87/EC | 15,320 | 14,686 | 12,194 | 11,294 | 10,671 |
| -C02 emissions from domestic aviation | 20 | 22 | 23 | 26 | 28 |
| Total ESR emissions | 44,840 | 44,243 | 42,702 | 42,546 | 41,951 |
| EU ESR Targets† | 43,479 | 42,357 | 40,520 | 38,683 | 36,845 |
| Gross distance to target | -1,361 | -1,886 | -2,182 | -3,863 | -5,106 |
| + Annualised ETS flexibility† | 1,908 | 1,908 | 1,908 | 1,908 | 1,908 |
| Net distance to target | 547 | 22 | -274 | -1,955 | -3,198 |
† Set out in Annex II and Annex III of Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/2126 with additional potential flexibilities arising from LULUCF
Notes:
The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Acts 2015 to 2021 provide the framework for Ireland to meet its international and EU climate commitments and sets a legally binding target of a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030 on 2018 levels.
Typically, National total emissions are presented excluding LULUCF (as they are in the report unless otherwise noted) due to the difficulty in comparing one country’s climate actions with another when it is included. For the purpose of assessment against the National Climate Act target however, it is necessary to include this sector and where this is the case the inclusion is noted in the report.
Units: 1 Mt = 1 million tonnes = 1,000 kilotonnes
CO2 Equivalent: greenhouse gases other than CO2 (i.e. methane, nitrous oxide and so-called F-gases) may be converted to CO2 equivalent using their global warming potentials.
F-gases: These gases comprise HFCs (Hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (Perfluorocarbons), SF6 (Sulphur Hexafluoride) and NF3 (Nitrogen Trifluoride). They are much more potent than the naturally occurring greenhouse gas emissions (carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide).
Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Sectors include the following eleven sectors for analysis:
- Energy Industries: electricity generation, waste to energy incineration, oil refining, briquetting manufacture and fugitive emissions.
- Residential: combustion for domestic space and hot water heating.
- Manufacturing Combustion: combustion for Manufacturing industries in ETS and non-ETS.
- Commercial Services: combustion for Commercial Services space and hot water heating.
- Public Services: combustion for public services space and hot water heating.
- Transport: combustion of fuel used in road, rail, navigation, domestic aviation and pipeline gas transport.
- Industrial Processes: process emissions from mineral, chemical, metal industries, non-energy products and solvents.
- F-Gases: gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning and semiconductor manufacture
- Agriculture: emissions from fertiliser application, ruminant digestion, manure management, agricultural soils and fuel used in agriculture/forestry/fishing.
- Waste: emissions from solid waste disposal on land, solid waste treatment (composting and anaerobic digestion), wastewater treatment, waste incineration and open burning of waste.
- Land-Use, Land-use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) covers the following categories; Forest Land, Cropland, Grassland, Wetlands, Settlements, Other Land and Harvested Wood Products.