Greenhouse gas emissions decrease falls short of targets
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen slightly but are still far short of agreed reduction targets, a report revealed today.
Transport continues to be the fastest growing problem area with a 5% increase in the amount of CO2 between 2005 and 2006.
Road use is now to blame for almost a fifth of the country’s greenhouse emissions.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency in Ireland produced 69.77 million tonnes of CO2 in 2006 – an 0.8% drop on the previous year.
Dr Mary Kelly, EPA director general, said the slight drop was encouraging but warned serious efforts were needed for more reductions.
“The remaining distance to our Kyoto target is substantial and shows that we continue to face a very major challenge,” she said.
“Reducing emissions in a growing economy will require a major effort on all our parts. Transport figures remain particularly worrying. Major efforts will be required to halt and reverse this trend.”
In 2006, transport emissions increased by 5.2% continuing the similar rate of increase seen over the last few years. It showed a 6.2% rise in 2005. The sector accounts for 19.7% of our greenhouse gas with road transport responsible for 97% of this.
The EPA noted that between 1990 and 2006, transport has had the greatest increase of 165%.
It said the increase reflects the increasing number of vehicles on the roads, the desire for bigger cars like SUVs and more reliance on private cars and road freight transport.
Energy emissions from power stations dropped by 4.6% but that is mainly due to the closure of the Moneypoint plant for several weeks.
Agriculture remains the single biggest polluter at 27.7% of the total, followed by energy at 22.3%, industry accounts for 17.2%, with residential 10.4% and waste 2.6%.
Ireland agreed under the Kyoto Protocol to a 13% increase in greenhouse gas emissions which amounts to 62.84 million tonnes. The EPA survey recorded emissions levels in 2006 of 69.77 million tonnes – 25.5% above the target.
Dr Kelly called for more intensive efforts to reduce emissions.
“The Government’s target of 3% annual reductions in emissions over the next five years will be extremely challenging and further emphasises that actions to reduce domestic emissions must be intensified and strengthened,” she said.
“Greenhouse gases emitted now will remain in the atmosphere for many decades and affect the climate for centuries to come.”
The EPA noted that in the post-Kyoto period to 2020 emissions reductions of 20-30% of 1990 levels are being proposed to avoid irreversible and damaging climate change.
Europe is attempting to limit the inevitable global temperature increase to two degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times.
