4.1 Ireland: Greenhouse gas emissions 1990-2021

After a decline in 2020 associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions increased to 62 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2021. This was 5% up on the 2020 figure of 59 million tonnes and 11% higher than the 1990 figure of 55 million tonnes.

4.2 EU: Greenhouse gas emissions 2020

In 2020, Ireland ranked fifth worst out of 27 EU Member States in terms of its total greenhouse gas emissions at 82.1 relative to the base year of 2005=100. Greece had the best performance with a ratio of 54.9 in 2020 relative to 100 in the base year of 2005 and Cyprus the worst at 96.2.

4.3 EU: Greenhouse gas emissions per capita 2020

In 2020, Ireland had the second worst emissions of greenhouse gases per capita in the EU27 at 11.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita. Ireland’s emissions were 57% higher than the EU27 average of 7.4 tonnes. Luxembourg had the highest level of CO₂ emissions per capita in 2020 at 14.4 tonnes while Malta had the lowest rate of emissions in 2020 at 4.1 tonnes.

4.4 Ireland: Greenhouse gas emissions by sector 1990-2021

Agriculture was the sector with the highest greenhouse gas emissions in Ireland over the 1990-2021 period accounting for 38% of the total CO₂ equivalent in 2021.

The transport share of greenhouse gas emissions increased from 9% in 1990 to 18% in 2021. The energy sector’s share of greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 was the third largest sectoral contributor to emissions with 17% of the total.

4.5 Ireland: Average annual temperature 1961-2021

The average annual temperature in Ireland over the 1961-2021 period varied between 8.20° Celsius in 1986 and 10.41° Celsius in 2007. The average annual temperature in 2021 was 10.37° Celsius.

4.6 Ireland: Average annual rainfall 1941-2021

The average annual rainfall in Ireland over the 1941-2021 period varied between 912 millimetres in 1971 and 1,506 millimetres in 2009. The average rainfall figure in 2021 was 1,219 millimetres.