Total greenhouse gas emissions increased by 3.7% to 59.9 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from 2014 to 2015.

In 2015, greenhouse gas emissions by the industry sector constituted 33.9% of total greenhouse gas emissions while emissions by the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector were 33.3% of the total.

The household sector was the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases at 22.1% of the total and the remaining 10.7% of emissions originated with the services sector.

An environment tax is levied on an activity involving the consumption of a product or service that is known to have a negative impact on the environment; the definition of these taxes is agreed at an international level by Eurostat, the EU Commission, the OECD and the International Energy Agency.

In 2007, estimated environment taxes levied on households were €3.3 billion, representing a 68% share of total environment taxes. Household environment taxes then fell to €2.5 billion in 2009. In 2017, household environment taxes were €3.1 billion and represented a 61% share of total environment taxes.

Environment taxes levied on service industries were €1.2 billion in 2007, representing a 24% share of total environment taxes. In 2017, environment taxes paid by service industries reached €1.5 billion, their highest level and representing a 29% share of total environment taxes. The recent gradual upward movement in the percentage share in the years to 2017 being largely attributable to increases in the Carbon tax and the Public Service Obligation levy.

Environment taxes levied on industry were €0.35 billion in 2007, falling back to €0.32 billion in 2010. In 2017, environment taxes levied on industry were €0.43 billion. In 2007, the percentage share of total environment taxes levied on industry was 7.3% while in 2017 it was 8.3%.

Environment taxes levied on agriculture were €0.03 billion in 2007, representing a 6% share of total environment taxes. In 2017, environment taxes levied on agriculture were €0.09 billion and represented a 1.7% share of total environment taxes.

An environmental subsidy or similar transfer is a current or capital transfer that is intended to support activities which protect the environment or reduce the use and extraction of natural resources.

Environmental protection activities aim to prevent or reduce pollution and other negative impacts on the environment.  Resource management activities aim to preserve natural resources from overconsumption.

In 2016, €772 million was paid in environmental subsidies and similar transfers to Irish corporations, households and public bodies, as well as to international environmental organisations under Irish government commitments.

This was 20% higher than the amount paid in 2015 but 37% lower than the €1.2 billion provided in 2008.

In 2016, 35% of environmental transfers went to renewable energy production, 27% to wastewater management, 18% to biodiversity protection and 11% to heat and energy saving measures. Other activities, such as climate change mitigation and waste management, accounted for the remaining 8%.

There was a large increase in subsidies to renewable energy generation from funds collected through the PSO (Public Service Obligation) Levy on electricity consumers in 2016. This was behind the increase in the proportion of subsidies to renewable energy sources from 27% in 2015 to 35% in 2016.

In 2016, the annual average consumption of water per meter per day was 351 litres. This is an 8.4% decrease compared with the 2015 average of 383 litres. 

Figure 5.4 presents average consumption by decile. A decile represents one-tenth of a sample. In 2016, the highest decile accounted for 37% of total consumption and had an average consumption of 1,310 litres per meter per day. This is 21% lower than the 2015 average consumption of 1,665 litres per meter per day for the highest decile.

A Building Energy Rating (BER) is an indication of the energy performance of a dwelling (represented in units of kWh/m2/year).

The BER rating scale is divided into categories from G (largest primary energy usage) to an A1 rating (lowest primary energy usage).

Figure 5.5 shows dwellings built in 2015-2018 were considerably more energy efficient than in earlier periods with 96% given an "A" rating compared with 36% in 2010-2014 and 1% in 2005-2009.