Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.2% in 2025, according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s provisional inventory. Every major sector recorded lower emissions than the previous year, although the EPA says reductions now need to accelerate sharply if Ireland is to meet its legally binding climate targets for 2030. Explore the interactive below to see which sectors changed the most and how much progress has been made.
F-gases were the only emissions category in the table to increase in 2025, rising 5.4% from 0.603 Mt to 0.636 Mt CO₂ equivalent. These are highly potent manufactured greenhouse gases used in refrigeration, air conditioning and semiconductor production. The EPA says the 2025 increase was driven by greater use of PFCs and nitrogen trifluoride in the semiconductor industry.
EPA provisional emissions data
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions fell in 2025, but the country remains well short of its legally binding 2030 climate target. Select a sector below to see how emissions changed.
Values exclude land use and are measured in million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. Click a row for more detail.
Agriculture produced 38.7% of national emissions. Lower cattle numbers reduced emissions, but increased nitrogen fertiliser use offset much of that improvement.
Transport accounted for 22% of emissions. Increased biofuel use and growing electricity use in road transport contributed to the reduction.
This was the largest percentage reduction among the major sectors. Renewable electricity supplied 40.6% of generation, while imported electricity also increased.
Residential emissions reached their lowest level since 1990. The EPA linked the fall to a warmer year and lower coal, oil and gas use.
Emissions fell as industry used less coal, oil and gas during 2025.
Industrial process emissions decreased, including a reduction in emissions associated with cement production.
Waste emissions were broadly unchanged, falling by just 0.4% compared with 2024.
F-gases were the notable exception to the wider downward trend. The EPA linked the increase to gases used by the semiconductor industry.
Ireland is legally required to reduce national emissions by 51% compared with 2018.
| Sector | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 20.436 Mt | 20.398 Mt | −0.2% |
| Transport | 11.782 Mt | 11.608 Mt | −1.5% |
| Energy industries | 7.095 Mt | 6.590 Mt | −7.1% |
| Residential | 5.486 Mt | 5.212 Mt | −5.0% |
| Manufacturing combustion | 4.332 Mt | 4.162 Mt | −3.9% |
| Industrial processes | 1.867 Mt | 1.834 Mt | −1.8% |
| F-gases | 0.603 Mt | 0.636 Mt | +5.4% |
| Commercial services | 0.742 Mt | 0.712 Mt | −4.0% |
| Public services | 0.700 Mt | 0.679 Mt | −3.0% |
| Waste | 0.823 Mt | 0.820 Mt | −0.4% |
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990–2025 . Figures are provisional and may be revised before final submission to the EU and United Nations.
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.2% in 2025, according to the EPA’s provisional inventory. Total emissions, including land use, reached 55.16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.
The biggest percentage reduction came from the energy sector, where emissions fell by 7.1%. Residential emissions dropped by 5%, while manufacturing combustion fell by 3.9%.
Agriculture remained Ireland’s largest source of greenhouse gases, producing about 38.7% of emissions excluding land use. Transport was the second-largest contributor at approximately 22%.
The annual reduction is positive, but Ireland remains well short of its legally binding goal to cut emissions by 51% from 2018 levels by 2030.
Emissions have fallen by approximately 14.5% since 2018, meaning Ireland has completed only about 28% of the reduction required to meet the target.
The EPA says emissions would now need to decline by more than 10% each year for the remainder of the decade. That would require reductions substantially larger than the 2.2% recorded in 2025.
Most of the sectors included in the EPA figures recorded lower emissions, but F-gases moved in the opposite direction. Emissions from this category increased by 5.4%, rising from 0.603 million tonnes in 2024 to 0.636 million tonnes in 2025.
F-gases are manufactured greenhouse gases used in areas such as refrigeration, air conditioning and semiconductor production. The EPA linked the increase mainly to greater use of gases associated with Ireland’s semiconductor industry.
Although F-gases accounted for only about 1.2% of total emissions, the increase shows how reductions in electricity, transport and heating can be partly offset by growth in smaller industrial categories.
The 2025 figures are provisional and may be revised before Ireland submits its final emissions inventory to the European Union and the United Nations.
Even so, the overall direction is clear. Ireland’s emissions are falling, but the current pace of reduction is not yet fast enough to meet the country’s 2030 climate commitments.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency, Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990–2025.
Matt Hook is a Canadian writer of Scottish and Irish heritage. He built his writing career creating detailed gaming guides, turning complex mechanics, history and lore into useful information for readers. Matt brings that same research-focused approach to Ireland Wide, where he writes about Irish travel, heritage, history and culture. He also holds CMA and CPA designations as a professional accountant, giving him a strong background in research, accuracy and attention to detail.
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