This is the first in a series of releases that looks at data relating to the enterprise economy through the lens of sustainability and climate targets. For the purpose of this release enterprise economy refers to activity in the Industry (including Construction) and Services sectors in Ireland.
While the enterprise economy contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland, total emissions have fallen by 12% since 2018 notwithstanding strong economic growth. However, the Industry (including Construction) and Services sectors together accounted for 40% of total national greenhouse gas emissions in 2023.
In terms of decoupling economic performance from emissions, Ireland’s economy is becoming less emissions-intensive and is producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic activity. Greenhouse gas emissions per euro of Modified Gross National Income (GNI*) fell by 25% between 2018 and 2023.
Reductions in energy use have contributed to emissions declines, alongside changes in energy mix. Falls in energy consumption in the Electricity, Gas & Steam (-17%) and Manufacturing (-10%) sectors between 2018 and 2023 contributed to reductions in emissions of 25% and 9% respectively in these sectors.
Looking at energy consumption we can see large energy users, a category including major data centres and significant industrial consumers, represented 31% of total metered electricity consumption in 2024, up from 15% in 2015.
Choosing energy efficient business premises can also impact sustainability around energy use and efficiency. Almost 45% of non-domestic buildings constructed between 2020 and 2025 were awarded an "A" rating for energy efficiency.
This release is the first in a series of releases that will leverage existing data sources to provide insight on different aspects of sustainability from an enterprise perspective.
The broad policy context relates to national and European Union (EU) climate action plans which state as their objective to be at “net zero” by 2050 and national policy for Irish-based enterprises to succeed through competitive advantage founded on sustainability, innovation, and productivity.
Sustainability is a multi-faceted concept that focuses on balancing environmental, economic and social considerations. Put simply, it is development which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is of increasing importance to enterprises, in terms of meeting environmental regulations and expectations, but also from an economic and social perspective.
Future releases in this series will look at topics such as digitisation and emerging technologies, deglobalisation, and demographic changes and how these may affect the enterprise economy in terms of sustainability and productivity.
This release presents territorial greenhouse gas emissions with a breakdown by emitting sector. Territorial greenhouse gas emissions are emissions produced on the territory of Ireland. They are reported annually by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are used to determine whether Ireland has met its legally binding emissions targets.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (25 February 2026) released Business in Ireland 2025 - Emissions and Energy Use by Enterprises.
This is the first in a series of releases that brings together relevant enterprise economy statistics from a variety of outputs and looks at them through the lens of sustainability to provide greater insights around sustainability and climate targets (See Editor’s Note for more detail).
Commenting on the release, Morgan O’Donnell, Statistician in the Sustainability, Circular Economy & Transport division said: “Sustainability is of increasing importance to enterprises, in terms of meeting environmental regulations and expectations, but also from an economic and social perspective.
There is increasing national and international recognition that economic growth alone is not a sufficient measure of success, and that long term prosperity depends on achieving a balanced integration of economic, environmental, and social outcomes. This release is the first in a series which attempts to build that broader picture and provide greater insights for enterprises around sustainability and climate targets.
This release looks at energy use by the enterprise economy, as it underpins productivity, competitiveness, and employment, while also contributing to greenhouse gas emissions. For the purpose of this release enterprise economy refers to activity in the Industry (including Construction) and Services sectors (NACE B-S) in Ireland.
By examining energy consumption alongside associated emissions, this release highlights the relationship between business activity and its environmental impact, addressing the dual national goals of sustaining economic activity while reducing emissions.
Emissions
Ireland has committed to achieving a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030, relative to 2018 levels, and to achieving ‘climate neutrality’ by no later than 2050.
Energy
Energy consumption underpins economic activity, yet it is also a key source of greenhouse gas emissions.