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IndustryTransportResidential and CommercialAgriculture, Forestry and FishingPower stationsOther
1990-199421.08645090040212.946804978908661.325591278697271.746980545609130.8245641029395281.12674876307781
1995-199913.93677688232332.954359056994131.219495350357391.700742815800421.158684038185921.19314941905096
2000-20049.92790671804732.788176763423891.727173492505231.523562523151641.16594321988711.49869464707872
2005-20099.491376252185042.798556909546151.978056996349281.313006440235420.7809899939423471.70900086475817
000000
20109.324579779630022.310303683369571.553804355713361.128411735491870.4572728010355731.48820129281863
20118.661212925044862.158066515405131.284567898841281.088830794867690.3820852094864811.00902831756681
20128.471883950342392.049690726212331.208182601321971.08158552064920.4351018553616850.957594463754565
20139.054275726440722.04502213129111.192678102066551.041720460997330.3755325480755820.849786872622139
20147.741367466877742.026928060213231.440086033955651.012486636707050.384964794446520.794157282809876
20157.524010935477421.888691331428711.461335909960881.002614129301670.4385199278277730.965541861843621
20167.027499067606651.9224000614951.465940752280631.017290641682940.4397186295623640.755378518343352
20176.346164083185041.725337841995771.592914786256041.025406771558190.3631011663249230.826372547948987

Emissions of particulate matter (PM2.5) in Ireland have decreased by 59% from an average annual 29,000 tonnes in 1990-1994 to 11,900 in 2017. The Industrial sector accounted for 53% of PM2.5 emissions in 2017, while Transport accounting for another 15%.

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2000=100
Malta24.2115971515768
Slovakia43.6646608182895
Netherlands46.8486551585709
Greece48.5901441855212
Cyprus50.058207217695
France50.1783072253321
Croatia50.2538833638795
Luxembourg56.4414603441041
Belgium56.918866947711
Germany 59.1520363071778
Ireland59.3279143536875
Estonia60.1095033242081
Sweden61.2165331546404
Austria63.3413120207716
Finland68.5802350221537
Portugal69.4265014557519
EU2871.4565183211798
United Kingdom72.1667454901696
Spain75.1800851246468
Czech Republic81.3790012021435
Latvia82.5206611570248
Italy83.8819274653627
Denmark84.7958407304083
Poland92.4203062248996
Hungary99.5457091293796
Slovenia105.796700764906
Romania108.227933782007
Bulgaria124.105132386055
Lithuania131.285239265578

Ireland ranked 18th worst among EU Member States for emissions of PM2.5 in 2017 compared with 2000. Irish emissions in 2017 were 59% of the 2000 level, compared with an average figure of 71% for the EU as a whole.

Malta had the lowest level of PM2.5 emissions in 2016 compared with 2000 at 24%, while Lithuania had the highest at 131%.

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Power stationsResidential and CommercialIndustryTransportAgriculture, Forestry and FishingOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199497.468636.001163094192833.27829526221866.781822774321521.526558258550250.60603911918402842
1995-199995.439439.352941269369521.16819723407446.508599590698091.11332142836220.70108355293734642
2000-200461.27976428.871244276132215.45658317469692.175886245557590.8732164179560610.81808426384901642
2005-200930.20267888328.7205251051298811.83904366610710.6737695968874760.6418933227112951.0978237692934842
00000042
20109.455645.864766575032719.469896455885970.2615055266160970.3683751685112540.87431612619315342
20119.381086544952145.244241599595068.654963261723830.2298927868177770.08850006812937861.1530585801331342
20129.581157349624.485415644277248.203170689555040.2588015209509570.09405457589983010.66446803739615442
20138.6856680084.867095980213938.756541341246890.2474304203629590.08300140153845460.76312719349349142
20146.195797226573.340578336708687.200889283183720.2246372120265290.04917323838502170.045327538178450142
20155.50830030132.456222577067276.856105939715750.2323458391998810.03967295656809880.11431102592103842
20163.841259182.567464140954266.781901115413390.2571666873967330.03635696283845240.26613715987054142
20173.888258142.754022485443686.154719370314210.2396984239773420.03875336571232890.14381047451182442

Ireland’s emissions of sulphur dioxide have fallen from an average annual 175,700 tonnes in 1990-1994 to 13,200 tonnes in 2017.

Emissions from power stations have declined from an average annual 97,500 tonnes in 1990-1994 to 3,900 in 2017.

The fall in emissions from power stations is mainly due to a shift from oil and coal to gas and the installation of technologies which reduce sulphur emissions.

Ireland has been below the National Emissions Ceiling (NEC 2010) for sulphur dioxide since 2009.

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3.1 EU: Sulphur dioxide emissions 2017

All EU Member States were below their 2010 National Emissions Ceiling level of emissions for sulphur dioxide (SO2) in 2017. Ireland ranked 11th worst among EU Members States in terms of 2017 emissions with a reduction of 69% relative to its 2010 NEC. Malta was the country with the greatest reduction in emissions, at 98% below its 2010 NEC in 2017.

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TransportAgriculture, Forestry and FishingPower stationsResidential and CommercialIndustryOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199466.192302249940843.271030816553147.53428.121494564549459.74637630476661.8072171672457265
1995-199960.569561531954548.493654972361140.32007956763368.62389505887658.676233783278011.0470331870104665
2000-200454.64479600356646.232014748425336.926365630505512.08280922529858.729521724777591.2658202385525565
2005-200955.25929516059941.301577892717724.986247428307315.6788127591129.195151683647521.1558938773538565
00000065
201043.431692157800438.564686235014111.51623568096949.934847198692149.448587200791541.1485950840022365
201141.72560813805734.92191001898357.99543383785598.45500219786118.27078382161380.8606811341741565
201240.75015871260235.224408598964910.3026593181810.45992024094868.022590155030670.88708227199819765
201341.708012669404737.00813089238188.5694880543483110.52950047708588.001887909773170.82547779118246165
201443.726992075999935.5493139843218.1012476266061710.97502722961827.183098533312160.78598795179035165
201542.263430717808735.06111569890619.8167375201055811.0374639322317.414130667792750.64653975063882265
201645.216526211905635.84575876711698.2941182692356611.17809371120877.518092832399750.65098460597629665
201744.432590344399837.67406692527918.1081630452872510.26878364820957.389377702247620.39121681127014965

Ireland’s nitrogen oxides emissions have fallen from an average annual 176,700 tonnes in 1990-1994 to 108,300 tonnes in 2017. This is 67% above the National Emissions Ceiling for 2010 of 65,000 tonnes and slightly below the 2016 figure of 108,700 tonnes.

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3.2 EU: Nitrogen oxides emissions 2017

In 2017, four EU Member States were above their 2010 National Emissions Ceiling for nitrogen oxides. Ireland had the worst level of emissions, at 70% above its NEC, while Bulgaria had the best at 58% below its NEC.

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Direct soilsN-excreted on pastureDairy cattleOther cattleOther livestockOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199446.922000156583214.215190961658412.24079660916428.36026343219559.982584607139160.39395241976474116
1995-199948.36667747325814.96274630961311.874358232224731.549745747676811.04020374516651.05042138924095116
2000-200445.668228872859314.272223694382611.389984088868330.181510988048110.76172631286221.97235933247983116
2005-200943.374682723370413.677651292036610.533460276985130.66268511992529.954462796354422.4333278584155116
000000116
201044.138341087064913.173417359439710.5046852213128.73574813155989.693699217683461.86493431396345116
201140.787968659349412.993310360984410.895186861538928.14902472929199.790075270940481.68069697457797116
201240.177415714210413.42672622529610.967465593763930.042651515563910.06604480324271.5101673755473116
201341.267430982642713.634127062409811.201149670462330.48625329289019.752733536785031.43017676886348116
201441.63999173117113.68803456525811.683251442317429.91341163367539.986947758163331.36169212065992116
201543.099708897117713.701668833211812.70693252071929.861799493655510.0378016907151.24922360237651116
201646.061911025345714.141226617877413.438539774058531.022875989402310.26642435902651.18686296211736116
201747.032293198426514.530602309588514.096224525195431.298789693006310.42388574217561.10739785166364116

Ireland’s ammonia emissions have varied between 104,300 and 123,500 tonnes over the 1990-2017 period. In 2017, ammonia emissions were 118,500 tonnes, or 2.1% above the 2010 National Emissions Ceiling of 116,000 tonnes.

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3.3 EU: Ammonia emissions 2017

Seven EU Member States were above their 2010 National Emissions Ceiling for ammonia in 2017. Ireland’s performance was ranked in seventh worst place in 2017 with emissions 2% above its 2010 NEC threshold. Lithuania had the best score, at 65% below its 2010 NEC.

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Agriculture, Forestry and FishingTransportFugitive and solventsResidential and CommercialFood and beverage industryOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199442.952641260867835.229460885164727.041983116385825.03694311058119.901451424352152.8006931178335555
1995-199946.416842020249428.657496453971228.9783350718416.597075846877310.06713888165592.7374459096522555
2000-200444.676873918906618.265385785505828.926254298438411.917607041754512.01708456137043.4812127178885655
2005-200943.891365383970712.931466990290330.776043083252111.435777717341714.42403317585833.7750254995417555
00000055
201042.25865549978519.3659395805638125.406331477639411.372533949847818.05214117842133.1595357725736555
201141.96803436115838.512266719076124.788364548913310.511212090372618.18414419319782.9111612044465455
201243.26114849342647.7148784375369323.780112848816510.296364247826620.41217691676282.8413346191894955
201344.00087938370897.1989799004112223.007102405627611.012372641136722.49186400612.9614379673829755
201443.97796660891616.7700679689245423.82599410808659.4579400093483519.03147231363.5377231962301255
201544.25452782769936.1937061975237623.25065240779489.2245781666508820.0408431328263.7273024140240655
201645.93702324035425.7739225346708323.07395354562298.6341829879968321.2407037988453.7655045703545855
201746.7629655505714.9123670233819923.16513713291627.8559717009736326.57419132555074.0456010495232555

Ireland’s emissions of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds fell by 21% from an average annual 143,000 tonnes in 1990-1994 to 113,300 in 2017. The 2017 figure was 106% above the 2010 National Emissions Ceiling of 55,000 tonnes.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing was the sector with the highest emissions over the 1990-2017 period and accounted for 41% of total NMVOC emissions in 2017, compared with an average annual 30% in 1990-1994.

Emissions from Transport and the Residential and Commercial sectors declined by 86% and 69% respectively over the 1990-2017 period.

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3.4 EU: NMVOC emissions 2017

Only six EU Member States exceeded their 2010 National Emissions Ceiling in 2017 for Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds. Ireland had the highest level of emissions among EU Member States in 2017 relative to its 2010 NEC at 106%, whilst Malta had the lowest emissions at -77%.

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