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YearIndustryTransportResidential and CommercialAgriculture, Forestry and FishingPower stationsOther
1990-199421.08645090040212.96126498349481.325591278697271.746980545609130.8245641029395281.12675287653659
1995-199913.93677688232332.950343234438191.219495350357391.700742815800421.158684038185921.19315586490687
2000-20049.927937444141842.77007309311091.727173492505231.523562523151641.16594321988711.498698230594
2005-20099.49151913512442.796882956013651.97807514276461.313032401363830.7809899939423471.70666712016557
2010-20148.650818750773662.125992272551781.3358717709111.070580798708830.4069912944431341.01490379251699
000000
20157.524168657705221.903090801264641.46115731538251.002614129301670.4385470570043530.968523071613131
20167.027715211329711.914871776020721.465940752280631.018130641682940.4397495759485230.796639517118201
20176.346369334501671.727742878427131.528555421628261.026384875716960.3631364389639930.987116090089585
20186.607454059990991.656297792321951.565337882602361.028944054069550.2823646133976930.902622516966343

Emissions of particulate matter PM2.5 in Ireland have decreased by 63% from 32,400 tonnes in 1990 to 12,000 in 2018. Industry accounted for 55% of PM2.5 emissions in 2018, while Transport accounting for another 14%.

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Country2000=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 11th best 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 2017 compared with 2000 at 24%, while Lithuania had the highest at 131%.

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YearPower stationsResidential and CommercialIndustryTransportAgriculture, Forestry and FishingOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199497.468636.001163094192833.27829526221866.796485099943451.526558258550250.60603911918402842
1995-199995.439439.352941269369521.16819723407446.496070385407471.11332142836220.70108355293734642
2000-200461.27976428.871244276132215.45658317469692.269921956738980.8732164179560610.81808426384901642
2005-200930.45895506328.7205277226646111.83904360687570.7090233556928150.6418933227112951.0978237692934842
2010-20148.9019414109144.760715979062688.457206847414010.2304078275215240.1310728217834820.70005949507887542
00000042
20155.50830030132.456204406835276.856106151302590.1702710406241840.03967295656809880.11431102592103842
20163.957239182.567464140954266.781901115413390.1731277526515450.03635696283845240.26613715987054142
20173.983778342.628003433797626.491798114940810.2395839104725260.05272578463442350.14381047451182442
20182.839483292.668057918469036.335291739656490.2534383270265970.02531484722910620.13652233528826842

Ireland’s emissions of sulphur dioxide have fallen from 183,600 tonnes in 1990 to 12,300 tonnes in 2018.

Emissions from power stations have declined from 103,000 tonnes in 1990 to 2,800 in 2018.

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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YearTransportAgriculture, Forestry and FishingResidential and CommercialIndustryPower stationsOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199466.331590090902443.27103081655318.121494564549459.746376304766647.53421.8072171672457265
1995-199960.415707144938748.49365497236118.62389505887658.6762337832780140.32007956763361.0470331870104665
2000-200454.288340077408746.232014748425312.08280922529858.7324367645158936.92636563050551.2658202385525565
2005-200955.10988841492641.305753818375415.68053434210439.2087072445616925.23929371830731.1558938773538565
2010-201442.261579574845636.24951434827210.07161837541488.200073885491579.543520047192240.90156484662947865
00000065
201542.273423777370835.061115698906110.95736812666787.429094058635149.819439332861830.64653975063882265
201645.307093993988635.845758767116911.17809371120877.53859877535698.307037615974630.65098460597629665
201744.220449531776737.656316293431510.16424486258547.409593241399358.119049831276860.39291202304614965
201843.697896318466739.42795730804589.42192430149427.923575674076736.737610247120730.54632667632230465

Ireland’s nitrogen oxides emissions have fallen from 174,900 tonnes in 1990 to 107,800 tonnes in 2018. This is 66% above the National Emissions Ceiling for 2010 of 65,000 tonnes and slightly below the 2017 figure of 108,000 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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YearDirect soilsN-excreted on pastureDairy cattleOther cattleOther livestockOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199446.922000156583214.215190961658412.24079660916428.36026343219559.982584607139160.394432976173489116
1995-199948.36667747325814.96274630961311.874358232224731.549745747676811.04020374516651.04624208136333116
2000-200445.668228872859314.272223694382611.389984088868330.181510988048110.76172631286221.93953398027946116
2005-200943.375786264011313.682141056090110.533460276985130.66453681222259.954462796354422.42685241864817116
2010-201441.601151962232113.378636372063811.050347757878529.46354691714349.857900117363011.56636760421124116
000000116
201543.130022922117713.701668833211812.70693252071929.861799493655510.0378016907151.25678313596731116
201646.102025825345714.141226617877413.438539774058531.022875989402310.26642435902651.18901533208641116
201747.046470520829414.512916468138814.096224525195431.257917098981710.41856396564811.10915596444163116
201848.126418971467914.504951384739914.54384997810930.678618896456410.45527647055531.03021802876699116

Ireland’s ammonia emissions have varied between 104,300 and 123,400 tonnes over the 1990-2018 period. In 2018, ammonia emissions were 119,300 tonnes, or 2.9% 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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YearAgriculture, Forestry and FishingFood and beverage industryFugitive and solventsResidential and commercialTransportOtherNEC 2010 target
1990-199439.83164493550289.9014514243521527.041983116385825.036943110581135.30113715693862.8045876079272355
1995-199943.271297525020610.067138881655928.9783350718416.597075846877328.62054910351812.7417864801476555
2000-200441.595715246151912.017084561370428.926254298438411.918513067619118.07796396029353.4867477971659655
2005-200940.753221224194114.040273175858330.776043083252111.439990932220412.89504342765793.7815595950686455
2010-201439.84547076531119.634299721616424.161581077816710.53464864597547.920069088624023.0878561728205955
00000055
201541.124231586596320.04084313282623.25065240779489.229228950291086.213791533237323.7182313494479455
201642.829482643102321.24070379884523.07395354562298.640556456753795.724977336601773.7592340637917455
201743.522581123488226.574536696947523.14826669865927.862374660765184.920784830171563.9137535075722455
201843.545998181350126.801548609712922.88671721684098.214576929223774.40397750064353.9310542231489555

Ireland’s emissions of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds fell by 23.3% from 143,100 tonnes in 1990 to 109,800 in 2018. The 2018 figure was 99.6% above the 2010 National Emissions Ceiling of 55,000 tonnes.

Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing was the sector with the highest emissions over the 1990-2018 period and accounted for 39.7% of total NMVOC emissions in 2018, compared with 26.7% in 1990.

Emissions from Transport and the Residential and Commercial sectors declined by 88.0% and 71.7% respectively over the 1990-2018 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%, while Malta had the lowest emissions at -77%.

Go to next chapter: Greenhouse Gases and Climate Change