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Output and Value Added by Activity 2023

Economic Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In 2022 Ireland's Modified Gross National Income (GNI*) emission intensity was above EU GVA average

CSO statistical publication, 15 November 2024, 11am

Economic Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions is a new chapter in this publication. It combines published economic data from the CSO National Accounts division with greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions data from the CSO Environment division and Eurostat. The chapter illustrates the effects on greenhouse gas emission intensities due to changes in the size and structure of the Irish economy.

Greenhouse Gas (GHG) air emissions are largely composed of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4). Carbon dioxide emissions are the result of burning fossil fuels such as coal, turf and petroleum for heat, power, and transport. Industrial processes such as cement production also emit CO2. Nitrous oxide emissions arise from nitrogen fertilisers used in agriculture and a small number of industrial processes. Methane emissions are caused by the digestive systems of ruminant animals, waste water treatment plants and landfill sites. Residence principle emissions excluding households are used. 2022 data are used in this chapter as this is the latest available year for residence principle GHG air emissions.

In summary, if we know the value of activity (output) or the value added associated with this activity (GVA) and we then combine this with the GHG associated with this same activity, we can calculate the economic emissions intensity of this activity. For example in grams CO₂ equivalent per euro of activity or value added.

Time-series estimates are provided in constant prices to remove price effects. Additionally, comparable EU Member State data are also presented, placing Ireland in a European context. This combination of existing data sources provides insight into the intensity of emissions per euro of activity or added value.

Table 7.1 Output, GVA and GHG emissions by NACE A64 sector, 2022

Table 7.1 Output, GVA and GHG emissions by NACE A64 sector, 2022¹
			€million	€million	'000 tonnes CO2 equivalent	Air emissions (grams CO2 equivalent)/€
ESA A64 code	NACE Rev. 2	Activity	Output	GVA	GHG	Output intensity	GVA intensity
1	1	Crop and animal production, hunting and related service activities	13,306	5,430	23,350	1,755	4,300
2	2	Forestry and logging	229	73	11	47	147
3	3	Fishing and aquaculture	508	220	54	106	243
4	05-09	Mining and quarrying	942	579	32	34	56
5	10-12	Manufacture of food products, beverages and tobacco products	34,037	9,912	1,257	37	127
6	13-15	Manufacture of textiles, wearing apparel and leather products	400	195	39	98	201
7	16	Manufacture of wood and of products of wood and cork, except furniture; manufacture of articles of straw and plaiting materials	1,561	551	37	24	68
8	17	Manufacture of paper and paper products	694	264	11	16	43
9	18	Printing and reproduction of recorded media	620	171	15	23	85
10-11	19-20	Manufacture of coke and refined petroleum products; basic chemicals	22,601	13,393	515	23	38
12, 17²	21 & 26	Manufacture of pharmaceutical products; computer, electronic and optical products	235,603	149,572	411	2	3
13	22	Manufacture of rubber and plastic products	2,449	955	32	13	34
14	23	Manufacture of other non-metallic mineral products	3,595	1,282	3,346	931	2,610
15	24	Manufacture of basic metals	1,237	152	1,223	988	8,071
16	25	Manufacture of fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment	3,083	1,271	46	15	36
18	27	Manufacture of electrical equipment	1,434	427	13	9	30
19	28	Manufacture of machinery and equipment not elsewhere classified	3,905	1,834	42	11	23
20-21	29-30	Manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers; other transport equipment	1,043	483	9	9	19
22	31-32	Manufacture of furniture; other manufacturing	23,945	12,381	103	4	8
23	33	Repair and installation of machinery and equipment	1,281	668	25	20	38
24	35	Electricity, gas, steam and air-conditioning supply	15,963	3,616	9,120	571	2,522
25	36	Water collection, treatment and supply	1,048	548	21	20	38
26	37-39	Sewerage, waste management and remediation activities	2,763	1,414	1,744	631	1,233
27	41-43	Construction	46,245	12,257	722	16	59
28	45	Wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles	3,508	2,105	128	36	61
29	46	Wholesale trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles	35,817	19,600	647	18	33
30	47	Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles	17,749	10,834	433	24	40
31	49	Land transport and transport via pipelines	6,573	4,224	2,030	309	481
32	50	Water transport	762	81	439	575	5,412
33-34	51-52	Air transport, Warehousing and support activities for transportation	19,296	3,065	14,033	727	4,578
35	53	Postal and courier activities	2,037	1,066	109	53	102
36	55-56	Accommodation; food and beverage service activities	10,672	7,016	150	14	21
37-38, 40²	58-60, 62-63	Publishing, audiovisual and broadcasting activities; Computer programming, consultancy and related activities; information service activities	235,625	82,967	68	0	1
39	61	Telecommunications	6,871	3,842	55	8	14
41	64	Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding	19,576	10,477	53	3	5
42	65	Insurance, reinsurance and pension funding, except compulsory social security	19,670	3,009	8	0	3
43	66	Activities auxiliary to financial services and insurance activities	10,446	4,072	14	1	3
44	68	Real estate activities	30,683	25,573	34	1	1
45	69-70	Legal and accounting activities; activities of head offices; management consultancy activities	38,221	19,254	142	4	7
46	71	Architectural and engineering services; technical testing and analysis	6,112	4,459	27	4	6
47	72	Scientific research and development	2,994	1,985	12	4	6
48	73	Advertising and market research	2,021	1,247	2	1	1
49	74-75	Other professional, scientific and technical activities; veterinary activities	2,846	1,674	22	8	13
50	77	Rental and leasing activities	22,735	15,270	50	2	3
51	78	Employment activities	4,938	3,565	10	2	3
52	79	Travel agency, tour operator and other reservation services and related activities	628	344	2	3	5
53	80-82	Security and investigation activities; services to buildings and landscape activities; office administrative, office support and other business support activities	10,338	4,711	49	5	10
54	84	Public administration and defence; compulsory social security	18,275	11,646	452	25	39
55	85	Education	13,432	11,644	251	19	22
56	86	Human health activities	23,860	14,856	237	10	16
57	87-88	Social work activities	8,638	5,378	152	18	28
58	90-92	Creative, arts and entertainment activities; libraries, archives, museums and other cultural activities; gambling and betting activities	3,500	2,214	32	9	15
59	93	Sports activities and amusement and recreation activities	1,764	1,133	81	46	71
60	94	Activities of membership organisations	3,707	987	23	6	24
61	95	Repair of computers and personal and household goods	181	95	3	14	27
62	96	Other personal service activities	2,674	1,201	91	34	76
63	97-98	Activities of households as employers of domestic personnel; undifferentiated goods- and services-producing activities of households for own use	285	285	0	0	0
64	99	Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies (not included)
01-63	01-98	All NACE economic sectors	1,004,928	497,530	62,015	62	125
		Output* (= Output minus Goods for processing exports)	872,955			71
		Modified gross national income		266,979			232
¹Preliminary figures.
² Codes aggregated for confidentiality reasons.

Open in Excel: Output and Value Added by Activity 2023 Table 7.1 (XLS 17KB)

In 2022 total output was €1,004,928 million while total GVA was €497,530 million. Residence principle GHG air emissions in 2022 were 62,015 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Dividing these results in 62 grams of air emissions per euro of output or 125 grams of air emissions per euro of GVA. There are large differences by NACE code. For example NACE 24 (Manufacture of basic metals) had a GVA intensity of 8,071 while many of the service sectors had single digit intensities. Modified output (output minus goods for processing exports, see Table 5.5) and modified GNI are also included for reference. See Table 7.1.

Table 7.2 Residence Principle Greenhouse Gas Emissions (excluding Households) by NACE A10 sector, 2013-2022

Total residence principle greenhouse gas emissions (excluding households) were 54,796 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent in 2013. These emissions had increased by 13% to 62,015 thousand tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2022. See Table 7.2.

Table 7.3 Residence Principle Greenhouse Gas Air Emissions in grams CO2 equivalent per € of Output by NACE A10 sector in constant 2022 prices, 2013-2022

In 2022, total greenhouse gas air emissions per euro of Output was 51% of the 2013 intensity (62 grams per euro of output in 2022 compared with 121 grams per euro of output in 2013). This decrease in output intensity was observed across most sectors of the economy. See Table 7.3.

Table 7.4 Residence Principle Greenhouse Gas Air Emissions in grams CO2 equivalent per € of GVA, GNI and GNI* by NACE A10 sector in constant 2022 prices, 2013-2022

In 2022, total greenhouse gas air emissions per euro of GVA was 49% of the 2013 intensity (125 grams per euro of GVA in 2022 compared with 253 grams per euro of GVA in 2013). This decrease in GVA intensity was observed across most sectors of the economy. After the much publicised ‘level-shift’ in the Irish National Accounts in 2015, the CSO developed the Modified Gross National Income (GNI*) aggregate to remove some of the globalisation effects from the National Accounts. Further details on GNI* are provided below. In 2022, total greenhouse gas air emissions per euro of GNI* was 79% of the 2013 intensity (232 grams per euro of GNI* in 2022 compared with 295 grams per euro of GNI* in 2013). See Table 7.4.

	GHG	Output intensity	GVA intensity	GNI intensity	GNI* intensity
2013	100	100	100	100	100
2014	101.160782665168	95.0320643033499	93.1226380975771	92.3182682330277	93.0128288014563
2015	105.654161491138	84.9234028933276	79.3948138668124	84.5094110636816	95.3678884099587
2016	113.861807491932	88.0808393684959	84.730542852774	86.2849562863277	100.273445793695
2017	118.927717749577	87.4168776719715	82.1581467386061	85.3102169643694	100.370182067094
2018	121.101598189828	80.9167689164685	76.5882702935087	83.3815253980157	99.7114269724048
2019	117.730197817404	74.0547946821063	70.6725850118637	77.8745322849788	94.873791301832
2020	94.4879043609141	56.3366224282899	52.5846484869359	60.1551235141761	78.3096234894671
2021	99.8641862630481	49.7089457866187	47.7766595834922	55.9852860245126	72.6427716231999
2022	113.174529792273	51.0395619323227	49.3115749108483	62.065190438471	78.69866103944

	Gross Value Added	Output
Sweden	83.23	40.51
Luxembourg	111.9	28.09
Malta	122.15	39.71
Ireland GVA & Output	124.645731844799	61.7108684509874
Austria	136.78	61.59
France	139.92	65.52
Belgium	160.38	65.8
Netherlands	169.39	75.82
Germany	176.49	81.7
Italy	181.46	77.84
Finland	184.78	80.8
Spain	192	89.89
EU27	202.57	91.43
Denmark	217.82	0
Ireland GNI* & Output*	232.284433797452	71.0402984050555
Portugal	242.26	107.8
Slovenia	246.47	107.1
Latvia	270.81	125.9
Cyprus	285.36	121.24
Croatia	311.52	149.38
Slovakia	314	116.22
Lithuania	321.76	148.43
Hungary	343.44	135.72
Romania	348.86	162.75
Czechia	379.15	149.46
Greece	429.62	215.95
Estonia	433.81	184.11
Poland	605.33	246.46
Bulgaria	717.66	301.59

In Figure 7.2 Ireland is shown alongside EU Member States. For ease of reference Ireland is highlighted in red. The chart is ordered by increasing GVA intensity. EU data were sourced from the Eurostat database. Eurostat is the statistical office of the European Union and is part of the European Commission. The charts illustrate data available in October 2024 and are subject to revision. CSO greenhouse gas estimates for Ireland are used for 2022. The Irish Output, GVA and GNI* estimates are consistent with the benchmark Annual National Accounts (ANA23) published in July 2024. A description of GNI* is provided below. Air emissions results are based on the residence principle, describe NACE sectors and exclude households.

Eurostat greenhouse gas emissions data can be found at the following location:

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/climate-change/database

In part due to the highly globalised nature of the Irish economy, both the Output and GVA air emission intensities were among the lowest of EU Member States in 2022. Modified GNI (GNI*), a measure of economic activity which is designed to exclude many of these globalisation effects and Modified Output (Output*) are included alongside GVA to give users an insight into the deglobalised Irish position. Further explanatory material on these deglobalised measures is provided below.

Ireland had the fourth lowest GVA and Output intensity at 125 and 62 grams per euro respectively. The EU 27 average was 203 and 91 grams per euro. Ireland’s GNI* and Output* intensities were 232 and 71 grams per euro, which placed Ireland among the middle of the EU Member States. Bulgaria had the highest GVA and Output intensity at 718 and 302 grams per euro respectively. Sweden had the lowest GVA intensity at 83 grams per euro, while Luxembourg the lowest Output intensity at 28 grams per euro.

GNI*: Gross National Income (GNI) at market prices is equal to Gross National Product (GNP) at market prices plus EU subsidies less EU taxes. This is more commonly described as being equal to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) plus net primary incomes from abroad.

To produce Modified GNI (GNI*) CSO take GNI and adjust for

factor income of Redomiciled Companies
depreciation on R&D Service Imports and Trade in Intellectual Property (IP)
depreciation on Aircraft Leasing

See the Explanatory Note in the Background Notes section of this publication for a descriptive walk-through of these items.

To produce Modified Output (Output*) CSO take Output and adjust for

Goods for Processing exports

See Table 5.5 for further details.

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Table 7.2 Residence Principle Greenhouse Gas Emissions (excluding Households) by NACE A10 sector, 2013-2022
'000 tonnes CO2 equivalent													%
NACE	A10 codes	Activity	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2022 as % of 2013
01-03	A	Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	20,936	20,428	20,980	21,552	22,337	23,225	22,312	22,660	23,488	23,414	112
05-39	B-E	Industry (excluding construction)	18,095	18,783	19,723	20,673	20,162	19,151	17,810	17,029	18,748	18,042	100
10-33	C	of which: Manufacturing	6,107	6,665	6,921	7,105	7,328	7,588	7,385	7,342	7,635	7,124	117
41-43	F	Construction	274	305	294	308	367	398	481	483	645	722	264
45-56	G-I	Distribution, transport, hotels and restaurants	13,858	14,373	15,218	18,026	20,465	21,653	21,927	9,707	9,929	17,968	130
58-63	J	Information and communication	118	111	152	134	126	121	155	155	173	122	103
64-66	K	Financial and insurance activities	41	31	35	34	41	46	58	70	69	75	182
68	L	Real estate activities	28	30	43	51	27	43	25	22	27	34	123
69-82	M-N	Professional, admin and support services	343	316	361	405	405	392	402	409	333	315	92
84-88	O-Q	Public administration, education and health	899	863	886	941	979	1,026	1,082	1,053	1,090	1,092	122
90-98	R-U	Arts, entertainment and other services	203	193	202	267	257	304	257	186	218	230	113
01-98	Total		54,796	55,432	57,894	62,392	65,167	66,359	64,511	51,775	54,721	62,015	113

Output and Value Added by Activity 2023

Economic Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Economic Intensity of Greenhouse Gas Emissions

In 2022 Ireland's Modified Gross National Income (GNI*) emission intensity was above EU GVA average

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