healthier, happier and richer

Total national greenhouse gas emissions as a percentage of global total, 2004 figures

< 1%

Historical contribution – 1850 to 2000

< 1%

Change in annual greenhouse gas emissions since 1990

+ 25%

2005 per capita annual greenhouse gas emissions

17 tonnes

Energy used per unit of GDP (compared to USA)

52%     

Balance of energy sources, 2006

	%
Oil	55
Gas	26
Coal	15.5
Renewables	2.5
Hydro	0.5

Energy security

“Ireland depends to a great extent on energy imports. The majority of imports concern oil – mainly from the UK and Norway. The UK is also the only source of natural gas for Ireland. Colombia and Australia are the main suppliers of hard coal.”

(See ec.europa: IRELAND – Energy Mix Fact Sheet.) 

Electricity generated, 2006

	%
Gas	52
Coal	28.5
Oil	9.5
Wind*	6
Hydro	4
Biomass	0.5

* Wind capacity has increased substantially since 2006: see below.

Installed wind capacity

2002               137Mw

2005               495Mw

2006               746Mw

2007               805Mw

2008               1.25Gw

“Ireland is now ranked fourth in the world in terms of contribution of wind energy to electricity use. Ireland, which supplies 8.7% of electricity demand from wind energy, is only behind Denmark (19.3%), Spain (11.7%) and Portugal (11.3%).”

(See SEI: Ireland ranked 4th in world in use of electricity from wind energy.)

Electricity – supply and demand

“Total final consumption of energy, consisting primarily of oil and secondarily of gas and electricity, has increased by 59% since 1990…Electricity generation increased significantly over the period 1990-2001, remaining fairly constant since then.”

(See ec.europa: IRELAND – Energy Mix Fact Sheet.)

Percentage of agriculture certified as organic

0.7%

Cars per thousand of population

359