Decoupling Emissions from Economic Activity 2022

Trends and Changes in Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Population and Economy, 2010-2022

Figure 1.1 shows the trends in greenhouse gas emissions, greenhouse gas emissions per capita, and greenhouse gas emissions per euro of modified gross national income (GNI*) at constant prices, from 2010 to 2022. 

In 2022, greenhouse gas emissions were 3% lower than in 2010, greenhouse gas emissions per capita had decreased by 15%, and greenhouse gas emissions per euro of GNI* at constant prices had fallen by 33%. The graph shows that there was a small drop in emissions over the time period against a background of increasing population and economic activity (see Table 1.1).

Figure 1.2 shows the percentage change in greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2022, along with the percentage change in selected demographic and economic indicators across the same time period (or across the time period 2011 to 2022 in the case of Census data).

Greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 3% during the time period while population, life expectancy, housing stock, occupied dwellings, employment, and modified gross national income at constant prices all increased.

The Climate Action Plan targets were set against a background of increasing population and longer life-expectancy. Ireland’s population increased by 46% from 1991 to 2022, while life expectancy increased by 6.3 years for females and by 8.6 years for males in the same time period (see Table 1.2). Population projections from the CSO show that continued population growth can be expected, to potentially 7 million persons in 2053 from 5.1 million in 2022.

Aggregated Sector Shares of Emissions and Economic Indicators 2022

Figure 1.3 and Table 1.3 show shares of greenhouse gas emissions, employment numbers, gross value added, and environmental taxes and subsidies for the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, the Industry sector, the Services sector, and the Household sector in 2022.

The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector accounted for 39% of emissions in 2022, 4% of employment, and 1% of gross value added. The Industry sector was responsible for 19% of emissions, 19% of employment, and 43% of gross value added in 2022 while the Services sector accounted for 19% of emissions, 77% of employment, and 56% of gross valued added. The share of emissions from the Services sector was low compared with the share of gross value added and employment. The remaining 23% of emissions in 2022 were from the Household sector. As Households are included in this release as consumers, there is no share of gross value added or employment for this sector. However, the Household sector paid the highest share of environment taxes at 56% in 2022, while receiving 18% of environmental subsidies.

Highest Emitting Sectors in 2022

Figure 1.4 shows the share of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 by sector, for the highest emitting sectors. Emissions from fossil fuels used to generate electricity were assigned to the final user of the electricity. Agriculture had the highest percentage share of emissions in 2022 at 39.0%. Households (as consumers) had the next highest share at 23.3%, followed by Manufacture of cement and other non-metallic minerals (6.0%), Land transport (4.0%), Information and communication services (3.5%) and Manufacture of food, beverages and tobacco products (2.8%). Together these six sectors accounted for 78.6% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022.

Each of these sectors is the focus of a chapter in this release, containing further analysis of factors affecting emissions and the potential impact of reducing emissions in these sectors. Emissions from each of the remaining sectors are 2% of the total or less.

Economic Activity of Highest Emitting Sectors in 2022

Table 1.4 shows the share of greenhouse gas emissions, employment numbers, gross value added (GVA), and goods and services exports for the highest emitting sectors in 2022.

Figure 1.5 shows a comparison across the five highest emitting NACE (production) sectors of greenhouse gas emissions, gross value added (GVA), and employment numbers in 2022. As households are included in this release as consumers, there is no contribution to gross value added or employment data for the household sector. 

In 2022, of the five highest emitting NACE sectors (excluding households), the Information and communication sector had the highest share of GVA at 17.4%. In terms of employment, the Information and communication sector had the highest share of the five at 6.5%, followed by Agriculture at 3.8%. Goods exports from the Food and beverages sector were 9.1% of total goods exports in 2022, while services exports from the Information and communications sector were 60.1% of total services exports in 2022 (see Table 1.4).

Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Economic Activity of the Highest Emitting Sectors, 2010-2022

Figures 1.6-1.8 and Tables 1.5-1.7 show greenhouse gas emissions, gross value added, and employment data for the highest emitting sectors from 2010 to 2022. In 2022, the six highest-emitting sectors accounted for 79% of emissions with 55% coming from the five highest NACE (production) sectors and 23% from Households as consumers. By comparison, the five NACE sectors contributed 22% to gross value added in 2022, and 15% of total employment.

Figure 1.6 and Table 1.5 show that the Agriculture sector was the source of around one-third of emissions in 2010, increasing to 39% in 2022. The Household share decreased from 31% in 2010 to 23% in 2022. The emissions share of Cement and other non-metallic minerals went from 4% to 6% over the period while the emissions share of Land transport went from 6% to 4%. Emissions from the Information and communications sector increased steadily from 1% in 2010 to 4% in 2022. The Food, beverages and tobacco sector made up around 3% of emissions in almost every year from 2010-2022.

Figure 1.7 and Table 1.6 show that the Agriculture and Land transport sectors made up of around 1% of GVA each year from 2010 to 2022, while the Cement and other non-metallic minerals sector was at less than 1%. The Information and communications sector share of GVA was 9% in 2010 and 17% in 2022. The Food, beverages and tobacco sector saw a decrease in GVA share from 4% in 2010 to 2% in 2022. 

Figure 1.8 and Table 1.7 show that the Agriculture share of employment fell from around 5% in 2010 to around 4% in 2022. The employment share of the Land transport and Food, beverages and tobacco sectors remained fairly steady at around 2% across the thirteen years, and the share of the Cement and other non-metallic minerals sector was similarly steady at less than 1%. The Information and communications sector share of employment showed some growth from 5% in 2010 to 7% in 2022.