Ireland’s economy is becoming less resource-intensive and less emissions-intensive and is producing fewer greenhouse gas emissions per unit of economic activity, according to a snapshot of key environmental indicators published by Central Statistics Office (CSO) ahead of World Environment Day on Friday 5 June.
The CSO snapshot looks at how Ireland interacts with our environment and how our behaviour is changing. Key findings include that newer homes are more energy efficient, that the number of homes using solar energy in their Building Energy Rating (BER) rose by 7 percent from 2021 to 2025, and that the number and share of EVs continues to rise among new private cars. Environmental protection expenditure by Government, households, and corporations was estimated to be €3.2 billion in 2023, and the extent of our Forest and Woodland ecosystems grew between 2018-2021 by 4,500 hectares of broadleaved deciduous and mixed forests (the equivalent to 3,800 full size GAA pitches).
Looking at the Green Economy, the snapshot finds that Gross Output of the Green Economy was €12.1 billion in 2023, up 10 percent on 2022 and it supported 48,400 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs, which was up 13 percent on 2022. It also found that between 2010 and 2022 waste that was landfilled in Ireland fell in terms of both volume, down from 3.8 million tonnes to 2.6 million tonnes, and as a proportion of total waste treated, down from 40 percent to 19 percent.
The CSO’s Climate & Environment directorate produces independent data on emissions, energy use, and environmental sustainability. These national statistics provide data on the interaction between the economy, society, and the environment, as well as insight for policy makers and benchmarks with Europe.
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