According to figures by Ireland's Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions Report the country's carbon footprint increased by 4.7% in 2021 compared to 2020.

The report, published by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), details Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions starting from the year 1990 and spanning until 2021.

It concludes that much of the country’s carbon emissions was driven by an increased use of fossil fuels such as coal and oil to generate electricity. The report also points to significant carbon increases in both the agriculture and energy sectors over this period of time.

The report acknowledges that the continued geopolitical impact on fuel prices could mean increased use of fossil fuels which could impact achievement in the carbon budget.

Carbon emissions in agriculture increased by 3% over the space of a year, according to the report. Excluding land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), the report acknowledges agriculture in Ireland to be the biggest contributor to the country’s carbon emissions, with the overall emissions from the sector amounting to 37.5% of Ireland’s total. 

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According to the report, methane emissions from enteric fermentation, fuel management and fuel combustion contribute to the carbon release in this sector. In total, methane emissions contribute 69.5% of carbon release to the agriculture sector in Ireland and these emissions have increased by 1.8% since 2020.

The report shows that carbon output from Ireland’s energy sector increased by 17.6% over 2021. The report attributes this rise in emissions to the tripling of coal and oil used in electricity generation partly due to the fact that a gas fired power plant was offline. The report also acknowledges that electricity generation from wind and hydro power decreased across 2021 by 16% and 20%, respectively. 

Energy generated from renewable sources in Ireland fell from a high of 42% in 2020 to 35% in 2021. 

Across all industries, the annual change from 2020 to 2021 shows an increase across the energy, industrial and transport industries. According to the report, decreases in the carbon emissions in the residential sector can partly be pinned down to a decrease in Covid-19 restrictions as well as a milder winter and increased fuel prices.

The report found that 23.5% of the first Carbon Budget (2021-2025) have already been used. The results of this report will require an average of an 8.4% annual carbon reduction to stay within the Carbon Budget 2021-2015.