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Ireland’s Environment 2008
C l i m at e C h a nge
a n d A i r Q u a lity
Climate Change
Kyoto mechanisms purchases are
used as envisaged, Ireland will still
exceed its Kyoto Protocol limit by
an average of 1.4 Mtonnes of CO2
equivalent per annum in the period
2008-2012. Additional domestic
policies and measures and/or
additional Government purchases
will be required to bridge this gap. In
particular, Ireland will have to reduce
its dependence on fossil fuels while
at the same time ensuring that very
significant increases are made in both
energy efficiency and in the use of
alternative energy sources such as
wind, ocean and biomass.
Climate change is recognised as the
greatest threat to the planet and the
greatest challenge facing humanity.
The need for major reductions in
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is
now an accepted priority for most
countries. Ireland’s commitment
under the Kyoto Protocol is to limit
GHG emissions over the 2008–2012
period to no more than an annual
average of 62.8 Mtonnes CO2e
(13 per cent above 1990 levels).
However, the most recent data show
that Ireland faces a major challenge
to meet this target and reduce
what is one of the highest levels of
per capita emissions in the EU. The
more stringent targets proposed by
the EU for 2020 pose even greater
challenges for the country, and there
is an urgent need to implement
effective long-term strategies to
achieve the necessary emissions
reductions across all economic
sectors. Current projections show
that even if all projected reductions
from existing and planned policies
are delivered, and forest sinks and
The impacts of climate change are
projected to increase in the coming
decades. Research commissioned by
the EPA has demonstrated that action
is required on a national basis to
prepare for adverse impacts in areas
such as flooding, water management
during dry spells, sea-level rise and
coastal erosion. Efforts will also be
required to protect native species
and manage changes in vulnerable
natural and managed ecosystems.
Figure S2.2 GHG Emissions
per Capita of EU-27 Member
States for 1990 and 2005
(Source: EEA, 2007)
EU-27
EU-15
Sweden
Portugal
France
Italy
Spain
United Kingdom
Austria
Denmark
Germany
Greece
Netherlands
Finland
Belgium
Ireland
Luxembourg
New Member States
Latvia
Lithuania
Figure S2.1 Distance to Ireland’s Kyoto Limit (Source: EPA, 2008)
Romania
Hungary
Malta
75
Bulgaria
70
Slovakia
65
Slovenia
60
Poland
55
Cyprus
50
Czech Republic
45
Year
National Total
Baseline
Kyoto Limit (as 5 year average)
2012
2011
2010
2008
2009
2007
2006
2005
2003
2004
2002
2001
1999
2000
1998
1997
1996
1994
1995
1993
1992
Estonia
1990
40
1991
Million Tonnes CO2 Equivalent
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0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35
1990
2005
t CO2 equivalent per
capita and year
S e c t i o n II S u m m a r y
Figure S2.3 Black Smoke Concentrations in Dublin, Cork and Limerick 1988–2007 (Source: EPA)
Concentration (µg/m3)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
88/89 89/90 90/91 91/92 92/93 93/94 94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07
Year
Dublin City
Climate change research
commissioned by the EPA in
recent years has contributed to
the development of expertise and
scientific knowledge in this area
in Ireland. This research has also
contributed to better estimates of
GHG emissions and is supporting the
development of appropriate national
policies on climate change. Future
research is planned to establish,
among other aspects, a scientific
basis for the achievement of GHG
emissions targets for the country
and the identification of sustainable
adaptation measures.
Cork City
Ireland’s good air quality. A key issue
for policy-makers is to ensure that
air quality control is considered an
integral part of traffic management,
industrial development and planning
processes. It is important that policies
to address these areas and major
issues such as climate change are
implemented in a holistic manner to
take full account of possible benefits
for air quality.
Improving Air Quality
in Towns
The pollutant of most concern is
PM10, levels of which are close to
the EU limit value across the country,
and efforts must be made to address
this situation. The ban on bituminous
coal in large cities and towns has
greatly reduced levels of particulate
matter and should be maintained.
Figure S2.4 Annual Mean NO2 concentration in Dublin and Cork
2000–2007 (Source: EPA)
Air Quality
50
45
Concentration (µg/m3)
Thanks to the influence of clean
Atlantic air and lack of large cities
and heavy industry, Ireland is one of
the only countries in Europe to have
had no exceedances of any ambient
air quality limit values in recent
years. The continued implementation
and enforcement of the existing
policy measures are vital to maintain
Limerick City
Annual Limit Value
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
Year
Dublin City
Cork City
2006
2007
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Ireland’s Environment 2008
Figure S2.5 Progress towards National Emissions Ceilings
(Source: EPA)
200
180
160
140
120
kt
80
60
40
Total SO2
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1992
1993
1991
0
1990
20
2010 SO2 Ceiling
160
Improving Air Quality
in Cities
140
120
kt
100
80
60
40
Total NOX
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1992
1993
1991
0
1990
20
2010 NOX Ceiling
120
100
80
kt
60
40
2003
2004
2005
2006
2004
2005
2006
2002
2001
2000
2003
Total VOC
1999
1997
1998
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
0
1991
20
1990
2010 VOC Ceiling
130
125
120
115
110
Total NH3
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1992
1993
105
1991
Emissions of air pollutants,
particularly PM10 and NOX, from road
traffic remain the main threat to air
quality in urban areas. Figure S2.4
shows that levels of NO2 in Cork and
Dublin are close to the limit value for
annual mean concentrations. While
new standards for car emissions and
the resultant cleaner technology have
curbed emissions from individual
vehicles, this has been offset by
the increasing number and bigger
engine sizes of vehicles on Ireland’s
roads. Air quality issues must
therefore be an integral part of traffic
management and planning processes,
and there needs to be a modal shift
from the private car to high-quality
public transport.
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1990
Figure S2.3 shows the effectiveness
of the coal ban in three major urban
areas. Concentrations of black smoke
– another measure of particulate
matter – decreased significantly
after the introduction of the ban in
Dublin in 1990, in Cork in 1995 and
in Limerick in 1998. A widening of
the ban on bituminous coal to other
urban areas would be expected
to decrease levels of particulate
matter across the country in a similar
manner.
kt
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2010 NH3 Ceiling
S e c t i o n II S u m m a r y
Meeting National
Emissions Targets
The strategies to achieve compliance
with the EU Directive on National
Emissions Ceilings have substantially
reduced emissions of SO2 and VOCs,
as shown in Figure S2.5, while the
emissions of NH3 are below the 2010
ceiling of 116 kt. Emissions of NOX
are currently well above the 2010
ceiling of 55 kt and are expected to
remain high in the short term, largely
due to the difficulty in achieving
large-scale reductions in emissions
from road traffic. This is the major
contributing sector and the increase
in road traffic must be curtailed
in order to reduce NOX emissions
overall. Existing policies and measures
are expected to secure and maintain
compliance with the ceilings for the
other NEC gases.
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