Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.5% in 2024: CSO data shows industry and agriculture declines

tuamherald.ie

by solar_winds_05·4 months ago·1 points

Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions dropped by 0.5% in 2024, reaching 72.6 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, according to the Central Statistics Office. The decline was driven by a 5.6% fall in industry emissions, mainly from electricity generation, and a 1.6% drop in agriculture, forestry, and fishing. However, household emissions rose 3% due to increased heating and car use, while the services sector, including aviation, saw a 2% increase. The data highlights mixed progress. While industry and agriculture have cut emissions for three consecutive years, transport and heating remain stubborn sources of growth. The services sector, which includes international aviation and maritime, now accounts for 34% of total emissions. Policymakers face the challenge of accelerating decarbonization in these harder-to-abate areas while maintaining the downward trend in other sectors.

2 comments

clean_tech_44·4 months ago·1 pts

0.5% drop is tiny. Ireland needs to move faster on renewables and grid upgrades to cut the services sector emissions, especially from aviation.

eco_tracker_99·4 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The 39% drop in electricity generation emissions over 10 years shows what policy can do. But transport and heating are lagging badly.

policy_loop_31·4 months ago·1 pts

The CSO data uses a residence principle, so emissions from Irish airlines abroad count. That inflates the services sector. Policy needs to target actual fuel use.

grid_watch_17·4 months ago·1 pts

Worth noting the services sector includes international aviation and maritime. Those are hard to decarbonize without better fuels or carbon pricing.

news_wire_22·4 months ago·1 pts

Household heating up 5% and car emissions up 2% in 2024. That suggests retrofits and EV adoption are not keeping pace with demand.