Northern Ireland greenhouse gas emissions down 7.1% in 2023
Date published:
New official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) present the Northern Ireland Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 1990-2023, showing significant progress in emissions reduction.
Key findings:
- Northern Ireland's net greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 18.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) in 2023
- This represents a decrease of 7.1% compared with 2022 and a long-term decrease of 31.5% compared with the base year (1990 for most gases)
- Carbon dioxide accounted for 61.5% of all greenhouse gas emissions in Northern Ireland (11.2 MtCO₂e) in 2023, with methane at 30.2%, nitrous oxide at 7.3% and hydrofluorocarbons at 1.0%
- Northern Ireland contributed 4.7% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, whilst accounting for 2.8% of the UK's population in 2023
- In terms of emissions per capita, Northern Ireland produced 9.5 tonnes of CO₂ per person compared with a UK average of 5.6 tonnes per person
- Agriculture remains a significant sector for emissions in Northern Ireland, with methane from livestock and nitrous oxide from manures, slurries and fertilisers being more significant than carbon dioxide
About the publication
The Northern Ireland Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2023 presents comprehensive data on emissions across different sectors including Agriculture, Fuel Supply, Waste and others. The report includes:
- Detailed sector-by-sector analysis of emissions trends
- Comparisons with UK-wide and Republic of Ireland emissions
- Information on progress toward targets set in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022
- Analysis of emissions by different greenhouse gas types
- Updated methodologies and revisions to previous estimates
Further information
Read the full report: Northern Ireland Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2023
View the Dashboard: NI Greenhouse Gas Inventory and Projections