Ireland's State of the Environment Report 2024

289 Chapter 11: Environment and Transport Figure 11.9  Proportion of Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions from a) the transport sector and b) the proportion of these from road transport, 2023 95% 5% 21% Road transport 95% Transport 21% Total GHG emissions Total transport emissions b) a) Source: Adapted from Climate Action Plan (DECC, 2024) GHG emissions from road transport decreased as a consequence of the pandemic but have been on the rise since 2021, reaching 11.19 Mt CO 2 eq (megatonnes of CO 2 equivalent) in 2023 (EPA, 2024a) (Figure 11.10), as transport and economic activity recovered in the post-pandemic period. Passenger cars accounted for 49% of emissions, with their share of total emissions gradually declining over the last decade from 59% in 2012. Emissions from freight road transport constituted 40% in 2022 (Figure 11.10). Figure 11.10  Breakdown of emissions by mode of road transport, 2012–2023 0 2,000 4,000 6,000 8,000 10,000 12,000 14,000 ˜ Passenger cars – ICE ˜ Light goods vehicles ˜ Heavy goods vehicles ˜ Buses ˜ Others 2022 2023 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 Year Emissions Mt CO 2 eq Between 1990 and 2023, the transport sector had the greatest overall sectoral increase in GHG emissions at 129.2%, from 5.1 Mt CO 2 eq (megatonnes CO 2 equivalent) in 1990 to 11.79 Mt CO 2 eq in 2023, with road transport emissions increasing by 133.6%. Fuel combustion emissions from transport accounted for 9.2% and 21.4% of total national GHG emissions in 1990 and 2023, respectively. Emissions from road transport were relatively stable during the period 2015–2019, at an average of 11.6 Mt CO 2 eq but reduced to 9.8 Mt CO 2 eq in 2020 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, with the easing and ending of travel restrictions in 2021 and 2022, road transport emissions rebounded to 10.4 Mt CO 2 eq and 11.1 Mt CO 2 eq, respectively.