Ireland’s emissions fell by 2.2% in 2025, acceleration needed

Ireland reported a 2.2% decline in greenhouse gas emissions in 2025, with an ‘accelerated delivery’ of emissions reductions needed to ensure the country meets its 2030 climate targets, the country’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said.

According to the EPA, emissions fell by 1.2 Mt CO2eq last year, compared to 2024, with emissions reductions reported across all main business sectors. However, reductions of 10% or more each year between now and 2030 will be required to ensure Ireland meets its target of a 51% reduction compared to 2018 levels.

‘Welcome reduction’

“This is the fourth year in a row that Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions have reduced, which is welcome in the context of a growing economy and population,” commented Dr Eimear Cotter, EPA director general.

“However, with just four years to 2030, Ireland needs to accelerate delivery and achieve much deeper annual reductions to meet our climate targets.”

Sector by sector

The largest emissions reduction was reported in the energy industry, where emissions fell by 7.1% to a record low of 6.6 Mt CO2eq, supported by a higher share of renewable electricity generation and increased electricity imports.

Transport emissions fell by 1.5% (or 0.17 Mt CO2eq) for the second successive year, while agriculture emissions reported a slight decrease of 0.2%, or 0.04 Mt CO2eq. Emissions from buildings (residential, commercial and public) were down 4.7%, due to a warmer winter and decreased use of fossil fuels, while manufacturing combustion and industrial processes emissions decreased by 3.3%.

Emissions from buildings declined by 4.7%, industry fell by 3.3%, while transport emissions decreased by 1.5% for a second consecutive year. Agricultural emissions fell by 0.2%, with lower cattle numbers offset by higher fertiliser use and increased milk production.

“The evidence shows that clear prioritisation and sustained investment can deliver emissions reductions,” Cotter added. “Since 2005, emissions covered by the Emissions Trading System, including large point sources such as power generation, have fallen by over 52%.

“By contrast, greenhouse gas emissions from Agriculture, Transport and Buildings have collectively fallen by only 12%. This highlights the key challenge for Ireland to reduce emissions from dispersed emission sources. The priority now is to accelerate delivery in these sectors by removing barriers and making low-carbon choices practical, affordable and attractive.”

‘Very encouraging’

Commenting on the EPA’s report, Darragh O’Brien TD, Minister for Climate, Environment and Energy and Minister for Transport, said, “As we continue our efforts to transform Ireland’s economy to a climate-neutral one, it is very encouraging to see that emissions have continued to fall for the fourth year in a row.

“Now is the time to continue our efforts right across Government, and preparations are currently underway for the next update to the Climate Action Plan which will have a strong focus on delivering the highest-impact measures to reduce our emissions while improving the quality of life of people in Ireland.”

On a provisional level, Ireland remained within its first carbon budget by 1.1 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, the EPA noted. Read more here.

Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Ireland (2024–2025)

* Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) data for the 2025 provisional inventory use the 2024 final inventory estimates. These will be updated in the 1990–2025 Final Inventory to be published in 2027.