Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Ireland decreased 6.8% in 2023 and are below the 1990 baseline for the first time in three decades. The decrease in emissions are reflected in all of the large sectors with the exception of a slight increase in transport.
Agriculture emissions decreased by 4.9% in 2023 (1.01 Mt CO2eq). The main reasons are decreases of synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use of 18%. Livestock numbers decreased in general, non-dairy cattle by 1.0%, sheep by 0.7% and pigs by 4.3%. Dairy cow numbers increased by 0.6%, however milk output per cow and overall production was reduced.
Energy industry emissions decreased by 21.4% (2.14 Mt CO2eq) in 2023 due to a 12-fold increase in the amount of imported electricity (9.5% of electricity supply in 2023), in combination with an increase in the share of renewable energy to 40.7% in 2023. The emissions intensity of power generation decreased from 334g CO2/kWh in 2022 to a historic low of 254g CO2/kWh in 2023.
Household emissions (the residential sector) decreased by 7.1% (0.41 Mt CO₂eq) in 2023. The reduction was caused by a combination of a milder winter and increased fuel prices. Coal, peat, natural gas and kerosene sales declined by 22%, 13%, 14% and 0.3% respectively.
Transport emissions increased slightly by 0.3% in 2023 (0.04 Mt CO2eq). This increase follows a 6% increase in both 2021 and 2022, caused by the ending of remaining COVID travel restrictions. Electric Vehicles now account for almost 58% of the 2025 policy target.
(Latest update May 2025)
Ireland is not on track to meet the 51 per cent emissions reduction target (by 2030 compared to 2018) which include many 2024 Climate Action Plan measures. Ireland's latest projections show total emissions (including LULUCF) decreasing from 2018 levels by 9% by 2030 under the With Existing Measures (WEM) scenario and by 23% under the With Additional Measures (WAM) scenario. The gap between both scenarios is largely attributed to significant reductions in key sectors such as power generation, residential, transport, commercial and public services and agriculture as a result of the Climate Action Plan 2024 and other policy documents such as Ag Climatise.
Three key sectors; agriculture, transport and energy industries consistently have the largest share of emissions. Under the WEM scenario, emissions from agriculture are projected to increase by 1% and 5% respectively over the period 2023 to 2030, while emissions from transport are projected to decrease by 9%. Emissions from energy industries are projected to decrease by 59% over the same period. When we look at the more ambitious WAM scenario, emissions from agriculture, energy and transport reduce by 16%, 68% and 21% respectively.
Full and early implementation of the Climate Action Plan 2024 is needed if the savings projected in the With Additional Measures are to materialise. The scale and pace of the changes needed are significant, requiring much greater reliance on renewables, cross-cutting measures such as an €100 per tonne of CO2 carbon tax by 2030 and further ambitious measures in sectors such as transport, agriculture and power generation.
Further information is available at the EPA's latest report Ireland' Greenhouse Gas Emissions Projections