Environmental Indicators Ireland 2016

• In 2014 Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions were 58.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent down from a peak of 71.4 million tonnes in 2001.

• In 2013 Ireland ranked eight best  out of 28 EU Member States  in terms of  total greenhouse gas emissions relative to the the base year of 2005.  Estonia had the highest level of greenhouse gas emissions relative to 2005 at 118, while Spain had the lowest at 74.

• Ireland had the third highest emissions of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita in the EU in 2013, behind Luxembourg and Estonia. At 12.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita in 2013, Ireland’s emissions were 45% higher than the EU average of 8.8 tonnes.

• The share of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in total greenhouse gas emissions increased from 58% in 1990 to 69% in 2007 and 2008 before falling to 63% in 2014.

• Agriculture and Forestry was the sector with the largest greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland in 2014 with 33% of the total.

• The Transport share of greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland increased from 9% in 1990 to a peak of 21% in 2007. In 2014 it stood at 19% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

• Average annual temperatures in Ireland varied between 8.2^o and 10.4^o Celsius since 1961. The warmest year was 2007 with an average temperature of 10.4^o Celsius. In 2015 the average temperature was 9.7^o Celsius.

• The wettest year in the period 1941 to 2015 was 2009, when 1,506 millimetres (mm) of rain were recorded. The driest year in this period was 1971, when 912 mm of rain were recorded.

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