Northern Ireland greenhouse gas statistics 1990-2023 released
Date published:
A statistical bulletin on greenhouse gas emissions for Northern Ireland, during the period 1990-2023, has been published today by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
The statistical bulletin outlines key Northern Ireland figures from the Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Download the statistical bulletin
The estimates were produced by Ricardo Energy and Environment on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the Welsh Assembly, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
The key points are:
- In 2023, Northern Ireland's net greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 18.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). This net figure is a result of an estimated 20.1 MtCO2e total emissions, offset by 1.9 MtCO2e of emissions removed through sequestration.
- The net figure of 18.2 MtCO2e in 2023 represents a decrease of 7.1% compared with 2022. The longer-term trend showed a decrease of 31.5% compared with the base year. The base year is 1990 for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, and 1995 for the fluorinated gases.
- In 2023, the Agriculture sector was the largest emitter, accounting for 30.8% of total emissions. Domestic transport followed as the second largest contributor, responsible for 21.5% of overall emissions. The Buildings and product uses sector, along with the Land use, land use changes, and forestry (LULUCF) sector, contributed 13.8% and 11.8% respectively. Additionally, the Electricity Supply sector accounted for 11.7% of emissions.
- Between 2022 and 2023, the majority of sectors (with the exception of Fuel supply and LULUCF) showed a decrease in emissions. The largest decreases in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent were in the Electricity supply (0.9 MtCO2e), Buildings and product uses (0.4 MtCO2e) and Agriculture (0.1 MtCO2e) sectors.
- In 2023, Northern Ireland contributed 4.7% of all UK greenhouse gas emissions, which stood at 385 MtCO2e. In the UK there has been a 52.7% reduction in emissions between the base year and 2023. During the same period, the reduction in emissions in Northern Ireland was 31.5%, compared to 55.1% in England, 52.7% in Scotland and 38.5% in Wales.
