Airlines and dairy companies based in Ireland increased their greenhouse gas emissions last year, new figures show.
The increases are in contrast with the rest of the country’s largest carbon polluters which collectively reduced their emissions.
The figures come from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), a scheme set up 20 years ago to incentivise businesses and utilities with high energy use and high emissions to switch to cleaner ways of operating.
Data from 117 factories, power plants and other high-emitters in Ireland show an overall reduction of 5.5 per cent in emissions in 2025.
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But airline emissions grew by just under 2 per cent and emissions from dairy processors by 3.6 per cent.
Emissions from flights within Europe operated by Irish airlines grew to more than 13.4 million tonnes last year – more than all other forms of transport in the country combined.
“This is now well above the pre-pandemic levels of 12.9 million tonnes and reflects the ongoing growth of traffic in this sector,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said.
Emissions from dairy processing also grew. “More work needs to be done to decouple growth in this sector from carbon emissions,” said Maria Martin, EPA senior manager.
An 8.9 per cent reduction in emissions from the power generation sector resulted mainly from the ending of coal-burning at Moneypoint electricity station in June last year and an increase in electricity imports from Britain.
Of all electricity used in the country, 17 per cent was imported – up from 14 per cent in 2024. Emissions from imported electricity do not have to be counted.
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A slight increase of 1 per cent in the electricity generated by renewables also helped cut power-related emissions.
Ireland’s cement plants are among its highest emission sites because the raw material they use is high-carbon and because of the very high levels of heat their kilns require.
A 3.6 per cent reduction in emissions was recorded due to changes in manufacturing processes under growing demand for less carbon intensive products – particularly by the State for use in public projects.
Emissions from the manufacturing and finishing of pharmaceuticals decreased by more than 4 per cent.
The ETS works by giving large emitters some free carbon allowances and penalising them for exceedances. As companies improve their performance, they have more allowances to trade.
Eimear Cotter, EPA director general, said Irish operators in Ireland under the system had cut emissions by 52 per cent since 2005.
She said the latest data “indicates progress in Ireland’s shift towards cleaner energy and more sustainable manufacturing”.
Some data is missing, however, as shipping companies came under the scheme for the first time in 2024 and not all have filed their returns.
