This chapter looks at data from two of the CSO's Environment and Climate Division's releases: Environmental Accounts Air Emissions 2018 and Material Flow Accounts 2019.
Total greenhouse gas emissions by resident units of Ireland (see Figure 28.1) increased by 1.5% to 77.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent from 2017 to 2018. A business, public body or household is considered a resident unit of Ireland when it has engaged for at least one year in economic activity in the country.
In 2018 the Services sector, which includes road and air transport, produced 31% of greenhouse gas emissions by resident units, while the Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector produced 27% of emissions.
The Industry sector accounted for 26% of the total in 2018, and the remaining 17% of greenhouse gas emissions were emitted by Households.
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | Total | |
| 2013 | 19.241662298911 | 18.820224666971 | 15.6892769865068 | 13.039181384842 | 66.7903453372308 |
| 2014 | 19.012631050648 | 19.449312352413 | 15.7149386632901 | 12.532861127932 | 66.7097431942831 |
| 2015 | 19.247713466719 | 20.345739535371 | 16.6437464929764 | 12.8041839094 | 69.0413834044664 |
| 2016 | 19.768838248412 | 21.44865437157 | 19.9659880521144 | 12.85729733262 | 74.0407780047164 |
| 2017 | 20.345853088562 | 20.986908590947 | 22.4879866964277 | 12.449326055167 | 76.2700744311037 |
| 2018 | 20.74121752096 | 19.880020826362 | 23.9893431866322 | 12.776188002906 | 77.3867695368602 |
Air pollutant emissions by NACE sector in 2018 are shown in Figure 28.2. Sulphur dioxide emissions were mainly from Households and Industry. Each of the four sectors was responsible for a substantial share of emissions of nitrogen oxides. The Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector was the source of 99% of ammonia emissions and 40% of emissions of non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs). Households emitted 62% of carbon monoxide emissions and 62% of emissions of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Larger particulate matter (PM10) was mainly emitted by the Industry sector (34%), the Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing sector (32%), and the Household sector (29%).
| Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing | Industry | Services | Households | |
| Sulphur dioxide | 0.428451592223432 | 46.1507592389796 | 4.55691195772936 | 48.8638772110676 |
| Nitrogen oxides | 38.0562163023621 | 18.4936528990451 | 24.5908036572223 | 18.8593271413704 |
| Ammonia | 99.1374392368329 | 0.301511050903492 | 0.105943110175962 | 0.455106602087682 |
| NMVOCs | 39.7199017808827 | 38.7995183224684 | 1.61708672354937 | 19.8634931730996 |
| Carbon monoxide | 1.96630740487587 | 27.5828702387598 | 8.81695522181329 | 61.633867134551 |
| PM2.5 | 8.81682915777617 | 21.0053104421482 | 8.07924970365273 | 62.0986106964229 |
| PM10 | 32.373010374139 | 33.8552701635606 | 4.78059786944986 | 28.9911215928506 |
Link to release: Environmental Accounts Air Emissions
Figure 28.3 shows Domestic Material Consumption (DMC) was estimated at 121.7 million tonnes in 2019 which was 3.4 million tonnes or 2.9% higher than in 2018 and 17.6% higher than the 2010 figure of 103.5 million tonnes.
Domestic extraction, the main component of DMC, increased by 16.1 million tonnes or 19.5% from 82.3 million tonnes to 98.4 million tonnes between 2010 and 2019.
Imports increased from 35.8 million tonnes in 2010 to 41.5 million tonnes in 2019.
Exports increased from 14.7 million tonnes in 2010 to 18.2 million tonnes in 2019.
Table 28.1 shows Domestic Processed Output (DPO) fell from 56.5 million tonnes in 2010 to 53.3 million tonnes in 2019.
Input Balancing Items were 67.5 million tonnes in 2019 down slightly from 68.6 million tonnes in 2010, while Output Balancing Items were 73.1 million tonnes in 2019 up from 69.0 million tonnes in 2010.
Total Net Material Accumulation in 2019 was 62.8 million tonnes up from 46.5 million tonnes in 2010.
| Domestic Material Consumption | Domestic Extraction | Imports | Exports | |
| 2000 | 127.462940261506 | 109.021740261506 | 31.9218 | 13.4806 |
| 2001 | 128.783715950091 | 109.922015950091 | 31.7022 | 12.8405 |
| 2002 | 130.237780002328 | 109.532180002328 | 34.3299 | 13.6243 |
| 2003 | 147.498957477651 | 126.939857477651 | 33.0326 | 12.4735 |
| 2004 | 160.57280557937 | 138.04380557937 | 36.7112 | 14.1822 |
| 2005 | 162.325799909901 | 138.964999909901 | 37.5455 | 14.1847 |
| 2006 | 174.654444922 | 150.530244922 | 38.8001 | 14.6759 |
| 2007 | 179.876255481059 | 152.255055481059 | 42.297 | 14.6758 |
| 2008 | 158.236762398227 | 134.250862398227 | 38.8646 | 14.8787 |
| 2009 | 119.912659449718 | 99.6814594497176 | 33.3898 | 13.1586 |
| 2010 | 103.457602095127 | 82.307302095127 | 35.8108 | 14.6605 |
| 2011 | 88.3877040331615 | 69.1875040331615 | 34.9465 | 15.7463 |
| 2012 | 88.7033367670113 | 70.3283367670113 | 34.7508 | 16.3758 |
| 2013 | 95.7401308681178 | 74.7885308681178 | 36.6239 | 15.6723 |
| 2014 | 92.6531372333153 | 72.9367372333153 | 36.4182 | 16.7018 |
| 2015 | 96.1068768905451 | 75.489376890545 | 39.1474 | 18.5299 |
| 2016 | 103.193326006025 | 83.3281260060254 | 38.6791 | 18.8139 |
| 2017 | 110.342477467081 | 88.4553774670809 | 40.3492 | 18.4621 |
| 2018 | 118.22108744849 | 92.6462874484901 | 43.8694 | 18.2946 |
| 2019 | 121.67044144799 | 98.3754414479895 | 41.51 | 18.215 |
Link to release: Material Flow Accounts
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