Ireland still faces a significant challenge in meeting its Kyoto Protocol target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a report by the European Environment Agency.
Although annual emissions were down for a second consecutive year in 2003, they remain 25% above the 1990 level.
Ireland's Kyoto target is to limit emissions to 13% above the 1990 level before 2012.
The European Environment Agency produces a broad report every five years on the health or otherwise of the environment across 32 European countries.
The assessment looks at a number of headings such as climate change, air pollution and health, the state of our fresh water supplies, the marine environment, and how economic growth impacts on the natural world.
Today's report singles out global warming as the biggest single challenge.
It points out that 1998, 2002, 2003 and 2004 were the hottest years on record.
The agency reports that 10% of Alpine glaciers disappeared during the summer of 2003 alone. At current rates, three quarters of Switzerland's glaciers will have melted by 2050.
The report concludes that Europe has not seen climate changes on this scale for 5,000 years.
The EEA says that while Ireland's carbon dioxide emissions fell for the second year running in 2003, we were still struggling to reach our Kyoto target.
On waste management, the report says that while landfills and illegal dumps have decreased and recycling increased there was still a growth in absolute waste.
Lack of waste infrastructure and the continuing economic growth were still having a negative impact on waste management.
The agency, however, highlighted Ireland's willingness to act, citing the plastic bag levy initiative and the smoking ban in pubs and restaurants.
