Carbon emissions from the cement industry rose rose 18 percent in 2012 according to a report published today from the Environmental Protection Agency.
It said 2012 appeared to be a landmark year, reversing a downward trend with the worst offending sectors being the energy, agriculture and industrial and commercial sectors.
As expected the EPA found Ireland will meet its Kyoto obligations for the 2008 - 2012 period – largely due to the economic downturn.
But the organisation warned the reversal in greenhouse gas emissions points to significant challenges in the years ahead.
According to the report, emissions from the energy sector rose 5.9 per cent overall in 2012, reflecting an increase in the use of coal in electricity generation, underpinned by lower coal and carbon prices.
Higher emissions in agriculture of the order of three percent were as a result of increased animal numbers, particularly cattle and sheep, in line with expansion of the sector under Food Harvest 2020.
The industrial and commercial sector saw emissions increase by 1.6 percent. This encompassed a range of increases of between one and two percent for non-ferrous metals, chemicals, and food and drink. The cement industry showed an increase of almost 18 percent over 2011 in 2012.
Emissions continued to decrease in the transport and residential sectors.
Transport emissions were 0.39 million tonnes lower in 2012 than in 2011. This is the fifth annual decrease in a row, representing a drop of 3.5 percent on 2011 levels. The EPA said the decrease reflected the economic downturn and changes in vehicle registration tax and road taxes which resulted in people buying lower emission vehicles.
In addition, the Biofuels Obligation Scheme started operation in mid-2010 with biofuels displacing petrol and diesel use in the transport sector. Emissions in 2012 were 113 per cent higher than the 1990 transport emissions.
Emissions in the residential sector in 2012 decreased by 0.39 million tonnes or 5.9 percent, compared to the 2011 level. This reflects higher than average temperatures in 2012 with consequently lower heat demand from households.
Emissions for the waste sector show a decrease of 0.03 million tonnes or 2.7percent below the 2011 level which reflects an 11.7 per cent reduction in methane emitted at landfill sites in 2012
Commenting on the figures Dara Lynott, deputy director general of the EPA saidIreland would meet its Kyoto Protocol obligations, “which is very welcome”.
But he said increases in emissions in 2012 show that environmental pressures remain “and will increase, particularly as the economy starts to recover”.
“The figures underline the requirement to decouple emissions from economic growth. They also point to the urgent need for a higher carbon price which would provide an incentive for using less CO2 intensive energy sources, such as natural gas,” he said.
