Greenhouse gas emissions fell by 0.5% in 2024, figures show
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions by resident units of the economy fell by 0.5% in 2024, according to figures released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO).
Resident units are economic units like households and business, who have engaged for at least a year in activity in Ireland. These units reduced from 73.0 to 72.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Greenhouse gas emissions from the Industry sector specifically fell by around 0.9 million tonnes (5.6%) of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, for the third year in a row.
In the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector, emissions fell for the third year in a row, down by 1.6%, which is 0.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024.
Although there was an increase of 0.3 million tonnes from the Household sector in 2024, this is mostly as a result of an increase in emissions from household heating.
The Services sector was the largest source of carbon dioxide emissions, making up 48% of the total. The Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector produces the majority of methan and nitrous oxide emissions in 2024.
Clare O’Hara, Statistician in the Environment Division, said: “This release from the CSO contains data on greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutant emissions by resident units in Ireland from 2015 to 2024. The term resident units is used to describe economic units such as households and businesses, which have engaged for at least one year in economic activity in Ireland. Emissions from resident units, especially from international transport, may occur abroad.
“Greenhouse gas emissions by resident units were 72.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2024, which was 0.4 million tonnes, or 0.5%, less than the 2023 figure. Although greenhouse gas emissions from the Services and Household sectors increased in 2024, this was slightly more than offset by decreases in emissions from the Industry sector and the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector.
“The Services sector was the source of 34% of total greenhouse gas emissions by resident units in Ireland in 2024, primarily due to emissions from transport activities, including international aviation and maritime transport. A further 28% was emitted by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, 22% by the Industry sector, and the remaining 16% came from the Household sector.
“Between 2015 and 2024, greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing increased in most years up to 2021, when they were at the highest level of the period at 22.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Annual decreases thereafter brought emissions from this sector to their lowest level since 2015 in 2024, at 20.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“During the same period, greenhouse gas emissions from the Industry sector were at their highest in 2016 at 21.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and lowest in 2024 when a 6% drop brought emissions to 15.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The decrease in emissions from this sector was mainly driven by a fall in emissions from electricity generation, which dropped 39% over the ten-year period.
“The Services sector includes air, water, and road transport services, so it is affected by the residence principle adjustment. Carbon dioxide emissions from Irish airlines and ships operating internationally have a large impact on the level of emissions attributed to the Services sector. Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector rose each year from 2016 to 2019 inclusive and were at their highest in 2019 at 26.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“They were at their lowest in 2020 at 13.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent when emissions from air transport fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A 56% increase in 2022 and a further 8% rise in 2023 were mainly due to emissions from aviation as air transport activity increased after the pandemic. In 2024, emissions from this sector rose 2% to 24.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
“Greenhouse gas emissions from Households rose 3% in 2024 to 11.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This was the second-lowest level of emissions from Households between 2015 and 2024, with the lowest level of 11.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent occurring in 2023. Household emissions are mainly due to transport in private cars and heating. In 2024, heating emissions were up 5% and emissions from private household cars were up 2% on 2023.”