Ireland and the Global Carbon Story

Ireland’s place in the global carbon story and the problem of reducing CO₂ emissions is full of seeming paradox. The island is still mostly covered with plants, virtually lacks heavy industry and is relatively lightly populated. It ought, one might think, to be largely a carbon ‘sink’, absorbing CO₂ from the air through natural processes and emitting comparatively little through human activity.

The use of Irish land for farming, industry and transportation, however, generates much CO₂, We rely heavily on imported goods, whose manufacture boosts CO₂  emissions elsewhere. We are widely distributed, highly mobile, use a lot of energy, take a lot of flights and drive a lot of cars and lorries. In 2008, the EU asked Ireland to cut emissions of greenhouse gases by 20% by 2020, compared with the output in 2005 (one of the higher targets), and to increase the use of renewable energy sources, such as wind and wave power.