Measuring Ireland's Progress 2021

By country: Greenhouse gas emissions

• The European Union's Climate Target Plan 2030 proposes to cut EU greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to their 1990 level.
• In 2020, Irish greenhouse gas emissions were 106.1% of their 1990 level, i.e. 6.1% higher (see Table 3.1).
• Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU27 in 2020 were 68.1% of their 1990 level, i.e. 31.9% lower). Estonia had the biggest drop in emissions, to 28.8% of their 1990 level. Cyprus had the biggest increase to 159.0% of its 1990 level.
• Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions per capita were 11.6 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per capita in 2020, which was the second highest in the EU27 after Luxembourg at 14.5 tonnes. The EU27 average was 7.4 tonnes per capita and the lowest was Malta at 4.1 tonnes.

Ireland: Greenhouse gas emissions

• The three main components of greenhouse gas emissions are carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrous oxide (N₂O), and methane (CH₄). The other gases that contribute to emissions are hydrofluorocarbons (HFC), perfluorocarbons (PFC), sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), and nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃). These latter four gases accounted for between 1.4% and 2.1% of total GHG emissions in Ireland between 2010 and 2020.
• Total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions decreased from 61.9 million tonnes of CO₂equivalent in 2010 to 57.7m tonnes in 2011 (see Table 3.2). They then fluctuated for a number of years with peak values of 62.7m tonnes in 2016 and 62.4m tonnes in 2018, after which emissions fell to 59.9m tonnes in 2019 and 57.7m tonnes in 2020.
• There was a 6.8% decrease in total greenhouse gas emissions between 2010 and 2020. In the same time period, there was a 15.9% decrease in CO₂emissions, a 6.5% increase in N₂O emissions, and an 18.6% increase in methane emissions.
• Carbon dioxide emissions decreased from 41.8 to 35.2 million tonnes between 2010 and 2020.

Ireland: Air pollutant emissions

• All of the air pollutants included in Table 3.3 below decreased between 2010 and 2020, with the exception of ammonia, which increased by 7.4% from 115,000 tonnes in 2010 to 123,000 tonnes in 2020.
• Sulphur dioxide emissions decreased by 59.7%, from 27,000 tonnes in 2010 to 11,000 tonnes in 2020.
• Between 2010 and 2020, particulate matter (PM₁₀) decreased by 17.9%, and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) decreased by 22.9%. The main source of PM₁₀ emissions in 2020 was industry. The primary source of PM_2.5 particles was household activities.
• In the same time period, carbon monoxide emissions decreased by 44.0.% and nitrogen oxide emissions decreased by 21.3%.

Ireland: Particulate matter in urban areas

• The annual average measure of particulate matter (PM₁₀) in Dublin fluctuated between 13 and 14 µg/m³ between 2011 and 2018, before increasing to 15 µg/m³ in 2019. In 2020 it fell to 13 µg/m³ and to 12 in 2021 (see Table 3.4).
• The number of days the daily limit of PM₁₀ was exceeded in Dublin fell from 7 in 2011 to 0 in 2012. It increased to 9 days by 2019, before decreasing to 0 days in 2020 and 2021.
• In Cork, the level of PM₁₀ ranged from a high of 21 µg/m³ in 2011 to a low of 15 µg/m³ in 2020. In 2021 it increased to 18 µg/m³. The number of days the daily limit of PM₁₀ was exceeded ranged from 0 to 19. The daily limit was exceeded on 2 days in 2021.
• Between 2011 and 2021, the average level of PM₁₀ in towns with a population greater than 15,000 persons was in the range of 16 to 21 µg/m³. The number of days the daily limit of PM₁₀ was exceeded ranged from 4 to 24. The daily limit was exceeded on 17 days in 2021.
• The EU set a limit of 50µg/m³ of PM₁₀ in a 24-hour period. The EU also set a limit that a country may not exceed this limit in any locality for more than 35 days of the year. Ireland has not exceeded the 35-day limit at any monitoring station to date.

Ireland: Annual average fine particulate matter

• Between 2011 and 2021, the annual average fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) in Dublin ranged from a high of 12 µg/m³ to a low of 8 µg/m³ (see Table 3.5). In 2021 it was 9 µg/m³.
• In Cork, the level of fine particulate matter fell from 12 µg/m³ in 2011 to 8 µg/m³ in 2021. The lowest level was 6 µg/m³ in 2017.
• In towns greater than 15,000 persons, between 2011 and 2021, the average level of fine particulate matter was in a range between 10 and 16 µg/m³. In 2021 the level was 15 µg/m³.
• In rural areas between 2011 and 2021, the average level of fine particulate matter was in a range of 9 to 16 µg/m³. In 2021 it was 10 µg/m³.
• There were no regions where PM_2.5 levels exceeded the EU annual mean limit of 25 µg/m³

By country: Energy productivity

• Energy productivity measures the amount of output that is produced per unit of gross inland energy consumption and provides an indicator of the energy consumption in a country.
• Ireland's energy productivity increased from €17.5 per kilogram of oil equivalent (KGOE) in 2017 to €24.5 per KGOE in 2021. This was the highest energy productivity in the EU27 in 2021 (see Table 3.6).
• In the EU27, Ireland had the highest energy productivity each year since 2017.
• In 2021, the EU27 average energy productivity was €8.5 per KGOE, with the lowest energy productivity in Bulgaria, at €2.5 per KGOE.

Ireland: Municipal waste generated, recovered, and landfilled

• The amount of municipal waste in Ireland rose from 2.8 million tonnes in 2010 to 3.2 million tonnes in 2020, an increase of 12.8% (see Table 3.7).
• In the same period, there was a 65.4% decrease in the quantity of waste landfilled and a 145.5% increase in the quantity of waste recovered (recycled, composted or incinerated for energy recovery).
• The quantity of municipal waste generated per person decreased from 624kg in 2010 to 576kg in 2017, before increasing again to 644kg per person in 2020.
• Waste recovered as a proportion of total waste generated rose from 38.1% in 2010 to 84.0% in 2018. It then decreased slightly to 83.1% in 2019 and to 83.0% in 2020.

By country: Municipal waste generated and treated

• Ireland had the fifth highest quantity of municipal waste generated per capita in the EU27 in 2020 at 644kg per capita. This compared to an EU27 average of 521kg waste generated per capita, while Austria had the highest (834kg), and Romania had the lowest (290kg) (see Table 3.8).
• In 2020, 16.1% of municipal waste was sent to landfill in Ireland, below the EU27 average rate of 22.8%.
• Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Germany and Denmark all had very low percentages of waste landfilled (less than 1.0%), and Switzerland sent no waste to landfill in 2020. These countries have very high rates of recycling and incineration. In contrast, more than 70% of waste in Malta and Romania went to landfill.
• In Ireland 29.5% of waste was recycled in 2020, just below the EU27 average of 29.6%. Another 10.9% of waste was composted, below the EU27 average of 18.6%.
• Ireland incinerated 42.1% of its waste 2020, the seventh highest rate in the EU27. Sweden and Finland had the highest incineration rates at 60.1% and 57.3% respectively.

By country: Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants

• In Ireland, the number of passenger cars per 1,000 people increased from 444 in 2017 to 458 by 2020, but then fell slightly to 456 in 2021 (see Table 3.9).
• Ireland had the fifth lowest ratio of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants in the EU27 in 2021.
• The average number of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants in the EU27 was 567 in 2021. Romania had the lowest ratio at 400 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, while Poland had the highest, at 687.
• All but two countries in the EU27, Malta and Sweden, saw an overall increase in the number of passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants between 2017 and 2021.

By country: Modal split of inland freight transport

• Almost all (99.2%) inland freight transport in Ireland went by road in 2020, well above the EU27 average of 77.4%. No freight was transported by inland waterways in Ireland and 0.8% was transported by railway (see Table 3.10).
• Ireland had the highest percentage of freight travelling by road of those EU27 countries that had alternative transport options available. Malta and Cyprus have no rail or inland waterway transport, thus all inland freight travelled by road in these two countries.
• Lithuania had the lowest percentage of freight transport travelling by road at 35.3% in 2020. Latvia was the only other country which had more freight travelling by rail than by road, with 56.5% transported by railway, and 43.5% by road. 
• The Netherlands had the most freight travelling by inland waterways in 2020, at 41.6%. This was significantly greater than the EU27 average of 6.1%.

Ireland: Number of vehicles licensed for the first time by type

• In Ireland, the total number of vehicles licensed for the first time in 2022 was 137,248 (see Table 3.11).
• In 2022, diesel was the most common fuel type of vehicles licensed for the first time at 41.1% of the total (or 56,370 vehicles), though its share was down from 77.3% of the total in 2012. Petrol was the second most popular fuel type in 2022 at 34,749 or 25.3% of the total, up from 20.5% of the total in 2012.
• Petrol/electric hybrids were the third most popular fuel type for newly licensed vehicles in 2022 at 20,259 or 14.8% of the total, followed by electric-only vehicles at 16,268 or 11.9% of the total.
• The number of newly licensed electric-only vehicles in 2022 increased by 69% compared to 2021, but the number of plug-in electric hybrids licensed fell by 3.1% to 7,749 after more than trebling from 2,496 in 2020.

Ireland: Average and Median Domestic Metered Public Water Consumption

• Average (mean) daily domestic metered public water consumption was 375 litres per meter per day in 2021, down 1.1% on 2020 when it was 379 litres daily (see Table 3.12).
• Average domestic consumption fell by 3.5% between 2016 and 2019, but rose by 6.8% between 2019 and 2020. Overall average consumption rose by 1.9% in the 2016-2021 time period.
• The median consumption of water per meter per day was 280 litres in 2021, This was up by 13.4% since 2016, including a 10.9% increase from 2019 to 2020. Median consumption reflects typical consumption better than the average figure as it is less affected by high consumption due to leaks.

Ireland: Domestic building energy ratings

• Domestic Building Energy Rating (BER) audits have been performed on over a million properties between 2009 and 2022. BER audits are required for all dwellings offered for sale or rent since 2009 (see Background Notes).
• Of those buildings where a BER was carried out, 11% received an A rating, 13% a B rating, 35% a C rating, 20% a D rating, 10% an E rating and 11% an F or G rating (see Table 3.13).
• Dwellings built in recent years are much more energy efficient than those constructed in earlier periods, with 99% of those built between 2020 and 2022 receiving an A rating, compared to just 1% of those built pre-2005.
• By contrast, 31% of dwellings constructed pre-1978 received an F or G energy rating when given a BER audit, compared with 0% since 2010.