New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the highest average effective carbon rate per tonne of carbon dioxide in 2021 was €269 for petrol, up from €267 in 2020.
The CSO said the average effective carbon rate for road diesel was 27% lower at €196 per tonne of carbon dioxide due to the lower excise duty rate applied to this fuel.
The average effective carbon rate for marked gas oil, or "green diesel" and which is used in agriculture, forestry and fishing, was €43 per tonne of carbon dioxide.
The CSO noted that net energy taxes on petrol were 63 cent per litre while net energy taxes on road diesel were 53 cent per litre in 2021.
Today's figures also reveal that carbon dioxide emissions from jet kerosene were charged at €3 per tonne in 2021.
The CSO noted that commercial aviation is exempt from excise tax but airlines must purchase emission permits for flights covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Meanwhile, fossil fuel subsidies were estimated at €2.9 billion in 2021 compared with €2.5 billion in value in 2020 and €3.2 billion in 2019.
The CSO said the falls in 2020 and 2021 compared with 2019 were mainly due to the fall in consumption of aviation fuel during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Direct fossil fuel subsidies accounted for 10% of total fossil fuel subsidies in 2021 while indirect subsidies such as tax expenditures accounted for 90%, the CSO added.
