This air emissions accounts release reports data on residence principle emissions by NACE sector.
Residence principle emissions are emissions by resident units of the Irish economy. They differ from territorial principle emissions, which are emissions produced on the territory of Ireland. Territorial principle emissions are reported annually by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are used to determine whether Ireland has met its legally binding emissions targets.
Residence principle emissions are calculated from territorial principle emissions by removing transport emissions from non-resident units on the territory of Ireland, and by adding transport emissions by Irish resident units abroad. They are compiled using the same principles and classifications as National Accounts to ensure compatibility with economic indicators. Emissions from transport are assigned to the NACE sector of the vehicle operator.
In 2023, greenhouse gas emissions by resident units of Ireland's economy fell 3%, from 75 to 73 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (See Table A). Resident units are economic units such as households and businesses, which have engaged for at least one year in economic activity in Ireland. Some emissions from resident units, especially from international transport, may occur abroad.
The fall in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 was mainly due to a decrease of 2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from electricity generation and a decrease of around 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from agriculture, while household heating emissions also fell by 0.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (See Table 1).
The Services sector showed an increase in greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 as emissions from aviation continued to rise after the reduction in air transport activity during the COVID-19 pandemic (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
The Services sector had the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions by resident units in Ireland in 2023 at 33% with the majority of these emissions arising from transport activities, including international aviation and maritime transport. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector was the source of 29% of greenhouse gas emissions by resident units in Ireland in 2023, while the Industry sector emitted a further 23% of the total, and the remaining 15% came from the Household sector (See Table A).
In 2023, the Services sector was the biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions, making up 47% of the total. The Industry sector was responsible for 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, and the Household sector for a further 21% (See Figure 2 and Table 2). The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector produced the majority of the two other main greenhouse gases, methane (94%) and nitrous oxide (89%), in 2023 (See Figure 2 and Tables 3-4).
In 2023, for the second year in a row, emissions of all of the major air pollutants included in this release decreased (See Tables 8-14).
Households were the biggest source of several air pollutants in 2023, responsible for 74% of carbon monoxide emissions, 65% of sulphur oxide emissions, and 56% of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, while the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector was the source of 99% of ammonia emissions and 39% of nitrogen oxide emissions (See Figure 3).
| Table A Greenhouse Gas Emissions by NACE Sector | |||||||||||||
| Million tonnes CO2 equivalent | Change | % change | NACE sector share | ||||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2023/2022 | 2023/2022 | 2023 | ||||||
| Territorial Principle Emissions (EPA) | 59.8 | 57.6 | 60.2 | 59.0 | 54.9 | -4.0 | -7% | ||||||
| - Non-resident Activity in Ireland | 1.2 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0.9 | -0.1 | -13% | ||||||
| + Irish Resident Activity Abroad | 20.9 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 16.8 | 18.9 | 2.0 | 12% | ||||||
| Residence Principle Emissions (SEEA1), of which | 79.4 | 65.9 | 68.4 | 74.8 | 72.9 | -1.9 | -3% | ||||||
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | 21.4 | 21.7 | 22.1 | 22.0 | 20.9 | -1.0 | -5% | 29% | |||||
| Industry | 18.3 | 17.6 | 19.6 | 18.9 | 16.6 | -2.3 | -12% | 23% | |||||
| Services | 26.0 | 13.7 | 14.1 | 22.5 | 24.4 | 1.9 | 8% | 33% | |||||
| Households | 13.6 | 12.9 | 12.6 | 11.4 | 11.0 | -0.4 | -4% | 15% | |||||
| 1System of Environmental Economic Accounting | |||||||||||||
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | |
| 2014 | 19.629956154 | 19.18325307234 | 18.54464704358 | 13.01841214 |
| 2015 | 20.017917787 | 20.24296763119 | 19.37082924877 | 13.430599305 |
| 2016 | 20.61089336 | 21.22587317535 | 22.25650254495 | 13.940612348 |
| 2017 | 21.233082414 | 20.79884580709 | 24.44799359753 | 13.488869624 |
| 2018 | 21.520487324 | 19.78615026068 | 25.698055384 | 13.82489891 |
| 2019 | 21.430198415 | 18.32923307867 | 26.02329753263 | 13.62981236 |
| 2020 | 21.691717623 | 17.57705399464 | 13.7336269397 | 12.854214566 |
| 2021 | 22.096602105 | 19.55960986367 | 14.13336056445 | 12.643777351 |
| 2022 | 21.953371669 | 18.93529716257 | 22.51926537499 | 11.417283444 |
| 2023 | 20.911434269 | 16.64288570375 | 24.3714425503 | 11.009079824 |
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | |
| Carbon dioxide | 1.541501715 | 15.29430235978 | 23.9479031821 | 10.64821196 |
| Methane | 14.9293040498 | 0.79772657664 | 0.022256367 | 0.11476190432 |
| Nitrous oxide | 4.43435033485 | 0.2379080006 | 0.2354239436 | 0.0557339255 |
| Fluorinated gases | 0.006278 | 0.312949 | 0.165859 | 0.190372 |
| Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | |
| Sulphur oxides | 0 | 29.7297297297297 | 5.40540540540541 | 64.8648648648649 |
| Nitrogen oxides | 39.2479435957697 | 20.2115158636898 | 24.4418331374853 | 16.0987074030552 |
| Ammonia | 99.3127147766323 | 0.171821305841924 | 0.0859106529209622 | 0.429553264604811 |
| NMVOC | 39.4589552238806 | 37.9664179104478 | 1.39925373134328 | 21.1753731343284 |
| Carbon monoxide | 1.68539325842697 | 18.2022471910112 | 5.84269662921348 | 74.2696629213483 |
| PM2.5 | 10.752688172043 | 25.8064516129032 | 7.52688172043011 | 55.9139784946236 |
| PM10 | 18.0173303131989 | 44.0587136412061 | 6.13475759561097 | 31.7891984499841 |
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (06 August 2025) published Environmental Accounts Air Emissions 2023.
Commenting on the release, 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 2014 to 2023. 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. Some emissions from resident units, especially from international transport, may occur abroad.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions by resident units were 72.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, which was 1.9 million tonnes, or 3%, less than the 2022 figure. Although greenhouse gas emissions from the Services sector increased in 2023, this was more than offset by decreases in emissions from the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, the Industry sector, and the Household sector.
The Services sector was the source of 33% of total greenhouse gas emissions by resident units in Ireland in 2023, primarily due to emissions from transport activities, including international aviation and maritime transport. A further 29% was emitted by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector, 23% by the Industry sector, and the remaining 15% came from the Household sector (See Table A).
Trends in Greenhouse Gas Emissions by NACE Sector, 2014-2023
During the period 2014-2023, greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing were at their highest in 2021 at 22.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Emissions from this sector increased in each year from 2015 to 2018 inclusive. After a slight drop in 2019, they rose again in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, emissions were close to the 2021 level at 22.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. A 5% fall in 2023 brought emissions from the sector to 20.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, the lowest level since 2016.
Between 2014 and 2023, greenhouse gas emissions from the Industry sector were at their highest in 2016 at 21.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, and lowest in 2023 when a 12% drop brought emissions to 16.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. The decrease in emissions from this sector was mainly driven by a fall in emissions from electricity generation.
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 abroad have a large impact on the level of emissions attributed to the Services sector. Greenhouse gas emissions from this sector rose each year from 2015 to 2019 inclusive and were at their highest in 2019 at 26.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. They were at their lowest in 2020 at 13.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent when emissions from air transport fell due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A 59% increase in 2022 and a further 8% rise in 2023 to 24.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were mainly due to emissions from aviation as air transport activity increased after the pandemic.
There was a fall of 4% in greenhouse gas emissions from Households in 2023 to 11.0 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent compared with 11.4 million in 2022 and 12.6 million in 2021. This was the lowest level of emissions from Households between 2014 and 2023. Household emissions are mainly due to transport in private cars and heating. In 2023, emissions from private household cars were at a similar level to 2022, while heating emissions fell 7% (See Figure 1 and Table 1).
Greenhouse Gas Emissions by Gas and NACE Sector
In 2023, 47% of carbon dioxide emissions were from the Services sector, 30% were emitted by Industry, and 21% came from Households, while the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector was the source of 94% of methane emissions and 89% of nitrous oxide emissions (See Figure 2 and Tables 2-4). Fluorinated gas emissions were 1% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 (See Table 5).
Territorial and Residence Principle Emissions
Territorial greenhouse gas emissions fell by 7% to 55 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023. Territorial 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.
Residence principle emissions are calculated from territorial principle emissions by removing transport emissions from non-resident units on the territory of Ireland, and by adding transport emissions by Irish resident units abroad (See Table 7). Examples can be found in the Background Notes of the release. In this release, the adjustment from territorial to residence principle greenhouse gas emissions was carried out for maritime transport for the first time.
Air Pollutant Emissions
Emissions of all air pollutants decreased in 2023, for the second year in a row. Air pollutants affect the air we breathe and can have harmful impacts on human health. In 2023, the Household sector was the source of 74% of carbon monoxide emissions, 65% of sulphur oxide emissions, and 56% of fine particular matter (PM2.5) emissions. The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector was the source of 99% of ammonia emissions (See Figure 3 and Tables 8-14)."