The five highest emitting sectors in the economy, excluding households, accounted for 55% of greenhouse gas emissions in 2022, but just 15% of employment and 22% of the gross value added.
New data from the Central Statistics Office shows that of these, agriculture had the highest emissions, accounting for 39%, but just 1% of the gross added value and 4% of employment.
"The output of agriculture is an important input for other…sectors, in particular the manufacture of food and beverages sectors and therefore contributes indirectly to output in these sectors," said Clare O'Hara, Statistician in the Environment Division.
"Between 2010 and 2022, gross value added in the agriculture sector doubled, while emissions rose by 17% and employment fell by 3%."
The manufacture of cement and other non-metallic minerals was responsible for 6% of greenhouse gas emissions that year, with emissions from this sector rising by 46% between 2010 and 2022.
But it contributed less than 1% of value added in the economy.
While the land transport sector accounted for 4%, down from 6% in 2010 and just 1% of value added.
3.5% of emissions came from the ICT sector, but it delivered 17.4% of gross value added in the economy and was responsible for 6.5% of employment.
94% of emissions in this sector came from electricity consumption, Ms O'Hara said.
The food, beverages and tobacco sector created 2.8% of the emissions that year and was responsible for 2% of gross value added and 2.2% of employment.
Households were responsible for 23% of greenhouse gas emissions and when included with the other five sectors above, that makes them the second highest polluters.
41% of household greenhouse gas emissions were from fossil fuels used for household heating, 36% were from fossil fuels used for transport and 21% were from electricity use, including electricity used for heating and transport.
"Electricity was the main heating fuel for 90% of dwellings built in 2020-2023, and for 22% of all dwellings that have had a Building Energy Rating audit conducted," Ms O’Hara said.
"In 2022, electric vehicles comprised 1.6% of licensed private cars."
"Renewable energy was the source of 37% of electricity generated in 2022, compared with 39% in 2020 and 36% in 2021."
When the sectors are aggregated, the data shows that agriculture, forestry and fishing accounted for 39% of emissions in 2022, 4% of employment and 1% of gross value added, compared to 19% of emissions, 19% of employment and 43% gross value added in industry.
Services made up 19% of emissions, 77% of employment and 56% of gross value added.
The data also shows that in 2022, greenhouse gas emissions were 3% lower than in 2010, while greenhouse gas emissions per capita had decreased by 15%.
