Environmental Indicators Ireland 2021

Environment taxes in Ireland amounted to €4.5 billion in 2020 which was down 10% on the 2019 figures of €5.0 billion. Restrictions on mobility because of COVID-19 had an impact on the 2020 excise taxes raised from road fuels.

Environment taxes as a percentage of total taxes at 6.1% in 2020 were the lowest over the entire 2000-2020 period.

Energy taxes accounted for 61.5% of total environment taxes in 2020, while transport taxes accounted for 38.2% of the total. Pollution and Resource taxes contributed less than 1% of total environment taxes in 2020.

Environmental subsidies in Ireland reached €1.036 billion in 2019 up 90% from €544 million in 2000.

Transfers associated with the production of energy from renewable resources increased from 0% of all environmental transfers in 2000 to 33% in 2018 before falling to 14% in 2019 due to a decline in the Public Sector Obligation Levy. Transfers associated with wastewater management declined from 59% in 2000 to 31% in 2019, while those associated with the protection of biodiversity fell from 33% to 22% over this period.

In 2019, consumers of petrol paid an average effective rate of €258.6 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted. The average effective carbon rate on autodiesel was 29% lower at €183.5 in 2019 with the difference mainly due to the lower excise tax on road diesel and tax reliefs for business use. Carbon dioxide emissions from jet kerosene were charged at €0.08 per tonne due to the tax exemption for commercial aviation.

Fossil fuel subsidies were estimated at €2.4 billion in 2019 up from €2.0 billion in 2010 and €2.3 billion in 2018. Direct fossil fuel subsidies accounted for 11% of total fossil fuel subsidies in 2019 while indirect subsidies arising from revenue foregone due to tax abatements accounted for 89%. The excise exemption for jet kerosene comprised 30% of total indirect subsidies. 

Expenditure on fossil fuel subsidies exceeded environment subsidies in Ireland over the 2000-2019 period but were usually less than half the revenue raised by environment taxes. In 2019 fossil fuel subsidies were €2.4 billion or 47% of total environment taxes while environment subsidies were 21% of environment taxes.

The consumer price index for electricity in Ireland increased from 100 in December 2006 to 153.2 in 2020, higher than for any other energy product. In contrast, gas prices increased by 11.6% over the same period. The consumer price index for solid fuels increased by 39.5% between December 2006 and 2020. Petrol prices increased by 34.4% and diesel prices by 24.1% over the same period.

Domestic extraction of resources in Ireland increased from 74.8 million tonnes in 1995 to 152.3 million tonnes in 2007, before falling to 69.2 million tonnes in 2011. In 2019 the figure had increased to 98.4 million tonnes.

Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) increased from 88.5 million tonnes in 1995 to 179.9 million tonnes in 2007, before falling to 88.4 million tonnes in 2011. In 2019 DMC had increased to 121.7 million tonnes.

Fish landings by Irish vessels in Irish ports varied between 149,200 tonnes (in 2008) and 249,200 tonnes (in 2012) during the period 2007-2019. In 2019 this figure was 173,900 tonnes.

Atlantic Mackerel was the most common fish species landed in Irish ports by Irish vessels, at 26% of the total in 2019, followed by Blue Whiting at 19% of the total in that year.

Dwellings built in 2015-2021 were considerably more energy efficient than in earlier periods with 97% given an “A” building energy rating compared with 1% in 2005-2009.

In contrast the proportion of dwellings with an “F” or “G” building energy rating fell from 32% in dwellings constructed between 1700-1977 to 0% in 2015-2021.

The average domestic metered public water consumption per meter per day in 2018 was 368 litres. This was a 3.4% decrease compared with the 2014 average of 381 litres.

In contrast to average consumption, the median consumption per meter per day in 2018 at 255 litres was 3.7% higher than the 2014 figure of 246 litres.

Total networked gas consumption in Ireland fell from 53,339 gigawatt hours in 2011 to 47,167 in 2014 before rising to 57,953 gigawatt hours in 2020.

Power plants accounted for 56% of total networked gas consumption in 2020 compared with 30% by the non-residential sector and 14% by the residential sector.

The volume of excise clearances for autodiesel increased from 1.992 billion litres in 2000 to 3.679 billion litres in 2019. This figure declined in 2020 to 3.167 billion litres due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on transport volumes. COVID-19 also reduced the volume of excise clearances for unleaded petrol in 2020.

In contrast, marked gas oil clearances increased by 3.9% from 1.093 billion litres in 2019 to 1.134 billion litres in 2020.

The volume of excise clearances for kerosene also increased from 1.068 billion litres in 2019 to 1.257 billion litres in 2020.

Estimated gross output by the environment goods and services sector was €7.2 billion in 2018, an increase of 7% on 2017. Environment protection activities accounted for €3.0 billion (41%) of total environment goods and services sector gross output in 2018 while resource management activities accounted for €4.2 billion (59%) of gross output. The percentage share related to resource management activities has been steadily increasing over time due to growth in investment in renewable energy and energy saving.