Energy
Sectoral emissions in the Energy Industries sector show a decrease of 8.8% in 2024 which is attributable to reductions in coal use (-49.0%) in electricity generation. There was a substantial increase in the amount of imported electricity, accounting for 13.9% of electricity supply in 2024 compared to 9.4% in 2023.
In 2024 renewables accounted for 40.0%, (an decreasefrom 41.0% in 2023).
Emissions from electricity generation had decreased year-on-year from 2016 to 2020, but 2021 and 2022 has seen an increase in emissions of 1.4-1.6 million tonnes compared to 2020, respectively. The return to using more carbon intensive fuel along with less renewables and natural gas plant availability played a big part in changing the trend as well as an increasing demand for electricity. In 2023, this trend reversed with 2.1 million tonne reduction despite electricity demand increasing by 3%. Emissions continued to decrease by 0.6 Mt CO2eq in 2024, with electricity demand increasing by 4.4%
Note: These pages present final 1990-2024 Inventory data (updated March 2026) and the EPA's latest 2025-2030 projections estimates (updated May 2026)
Energy industries sector
This sector accounts for emissions from fuels combusted in electricity generation, waste to energy incineration, oil and natural gas refining, briquetting manufacture as well as fugitive emissions from oil and gas production, transmission and exploration.
There was an decrease in the renewable share in electricity generation, from 41.0% to 40.0% from 2023 to 2024, with wind accounting for 32.1% of electricity supply (down from 34.1%). Natural gas accounted for 41.8% of electricity generated in 2024, with coal and oil together accounting for 3.4% of electricity generated . Solar now accounts for 3.0% of electricity generated in Ireland, increasing by 69.1% in 2024. The increase in renewables combined with the increase in imported electricity from interconnectors caused emissions intensity of power generation to decrease by 11.7% from 253g CO₂/kWh in 2023 to a historic low of 224g CO₂/kWh in 2024.
Energy Industries show a decrease in emissions of 36.8% over the period 1990 to 2024. Over the time series, emissions from electricity generation have decreased by 37.5% whereas total electricity consumption has increased by 175.2%. Emissions from electricity generation increased from 1990 to 2001 by 54.3% and have decreased by 59.5% between 2001 and 2024. This decrease reflects the improvement in efficiency of modern gas fired power plants replacing older peat and oil-fired plants and the increased share of renewables, primarily wind power, along with increased interconnectivity. 2024 was the first year with no peat fired electricity generation in the time series. Emissions from electricity generation had decreased year-on-year from 2016 to 2020 but increased in 2021 by 19.0% compared to 2020 due to an increase in coal and oil use. Coal in electricity generation decreased by 49.0% in 2024 compared to 2023.
Projected emissions in the Electricity sector
In terms of National emissions targets, the Electricity sector consists of greenhouse emissions from the ‘Energy Industries’ IPCC category reported under EU requirements less the ‘Petroleum refining’ component of this category.
From 10.2 Mt CO2eq in 2018, emissions from the Electricity sector are projected to decrease to between 4.0 and 4.7 Mt CO2eq in 2030 (a 61% reduction in WAM and 55% decrease in WEM). This compares to a national target of a 75% reduction compared to 2018 levels.
The extra emissions reductions achieved under WAM are mainly driven by greater renewable energy generation from solar PV, onshore and offshore wind with additional energy storage capacity.