The Environmental Protection Agency recently published a provisional report on the emission of greenhouse gases in Ireland in 2009. As expected, emissions were down on the 2008 figure and the decrease occurred across all sectors of the economy.
The key points in the report are
• Total emissions stood at 62.32 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
• The emissions for the industry and commercial sector fell by 20% from 2008.
• Power generation emissions were down by 10.7%
• Transport emissions fell by 7.7%
• The cement sector had the largest drop at 38% reflecting the collapse in construction in Ireland.
• The agriculture sector continues to be the biggest emitter at 29.1% of the total.
• Power generation and transport account for 21% each of the total.
• Industry and commercial stands at 14.8%.
• Residential accounts for 12% and
• Waste emissions are 1.9% of the total.
This reduction brings the country closer to the level needed to meet our Kyoto target of 62.84 million tonnes per annum for each of the five years from 2008 to 2012 but meeting that target at the expense of the Irish economy is not the way to do it.
What is needed is a move away from an economy dependent on fossil fuel to one based on renewable and sustainable energy. Ireland should use this economic crisis to build a low carbon economy and exploit our natural advantage over other countries in the area of wind resources.
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