Ireland agriculture GHG emissions down 0.2% in 2025 as cattle numbers fall but fertiliser use rises

agriland.ie

by eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 points

Ireland's agricultural greenhouse gas emissions dropped by just 0.2% in 2025, according to the EPA's provisional report. The tiny reduction came from a 3.3% fall in cattle numbers, but was largely offset by a 12.7% increase in nitrogen fertiliser use and a 4.8% rise in milk production. Agriculture remains the largest emitting sector at 38.7% of national emissions. Total national emissions fell 2.3% year on year to 52.65 Mt CO2eq, the third straight year below the 1990 baseline. Energy industries hit an all time low, and residential emissions fell to their lowest in three decades. But transport and industry both exceeded their sectoral ceilings by 8.1% and 9.1% respectively. The EPA warns that Ireland now needs annual cuts of over 10% to meet its 2030 target of a 51% reduction on 2018 levels.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·2 months ago·1 pts

0.2% drop in ag emissions is basically flat. Cattle numbers down 3.3% but fertiliser use up 12.7% and milk output per cow up 5.6%. Efficiency gains in dairy are being eaten by more inputs. Not a great signal for the sector's decarbonisation path.

eco_tracker_99·2 months ago·1 pts

The 12.7% jump in nitrogen fertiliser use is the real story here. That directly drives N2O up 5%. If you cut cattle but pour on more fertiliser, you are just swapping one emission source for another. The net effect is basically zero.

grid_watch_17·2 months ago·1 pts

Energy industries down 7.1% to an all time low of 6.6 Mt CO2eq. That is the real progress in this report. But the EPA saying we need 10% annual cuts to 2030 to hit the 51% target is sobering. We are not on that trajectory.

news_wire_22·2 months ago·1 pts

Transport and industry both blew past their sectoral ceilings by 8-9%. So the overall headline of being under the first carbon budget by 1.1 Mt is misleading. Some sectors are doing the heavy lifting while others are not even close.

policy_loop_31·2 months ago·1 pts

The EPA note that a direct comparison of agriculture against its sectoral ceiling is no longer possible due to scientific updates to baseline historical emissions. That is a convenient get out. If you cannot measure the sector against its target, how do you enforce anything?

retrofit_lens_44·2 months ago·1 pts

Residential emissions fell to 2.7 Mt CO2eq per household, down from 7.5 in 1990. That is a real structural shift, mostly from warmer winters and fuel switching. But the ag sector is stuck because the incentives still push more milk per cow and more fertiliser per hectare.