Carbon emissions from Ireland’s agriculture sector are estimated to have stayed relatively unchanged in 2020, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The EPA said Ireland’s farming sector was relatively unaffected by COVID-19 and estimates a slight increase in emissions from agriculture of just 0.4% in 2020, which it attributed to increased usage of fuel and nitrogen fertiliser.

The steady rate of emissions in 2020 follows a 4% drop in agricultural emissions in 2019. EPA analysis for 2019 showed emissions from farming fell 4% to just over 21m tonnes of CO2 equivalent – the first time in four years that emissions from the sector had fallen.

The main drivers of the reduction in 2019 emissions from farming were a 10% drop in the use of nitrogen fertiliser, a 25% reduction in the amount of lime applied by farmers and a 3% fall in methane emissions.

Overall emissions

The EPA announced the figures for 2020 on Friday as part of a special analysis on the impact COVID-19 has had on greenhouse gas (GHG) levels in Ireland in 2020. The EPA’s analysis shows that overall carbon emissions for 2020 dropped 6% to just over 56m tonnes of CO2 equivalent for the entire country.

The EPA attributed the sharp fall in carbon emissions last year to the impact of COVID-19 on activity levels within the Irish economy. It estimates carbon emissions linked to transport fell a massive 17% last year to just over 10m tonnes of CO2 equivalent, while emissions from the energy industry fell 14% to just over 8m tonnes of CO2 equivalent.

The EPA estimates carbon emissions from Ireland’s manufacturing and industrial sector were down 8% last year, with many companies operating at reduced capacity due to COVID-19.

In contrast, carbon emissions from the residential sector increased 9% last year to more than 7m tonnes of CO2 equivalent, due to increased home heating demand, as more people were working from home during the pandemic.