SEA Environmental Report for the Draft Cork City Development Plan 2022-2028
Emissions from the Manufacturing Combustion 48 sector increased by 3.1% in 2017. The Industrial Processes sector emissions increased by 4.1%, mainly from increased cement production. Cement process emissions increased by 2.6% in 2017. GHG emissions from the Residential sector decreased by 5.0%. This can be attributed to a milder winter. Emissions from the Waste sector decreased by 2.5% in 2017.
4.10
Air and Climatic Factors
4.10.1 Introduction Total emissions of greenhouse gases by humans come from various sectors including transport, agriculture, energy industries, manufacturing combustion, industrial processes, residential developments, commercial services developments, waste management processes and fluorinated gases equipment (such as refrigeration and fire protection systems). Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2017 (EPA, 2018) details provisional estimates of greenhouse gas emissions for the period 1990-2017. For 2017, total national greenhouse gas emissions are estimated to be 60.75 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO 2 eq). This is 0.9% lower (0.53 Mt CO 2 eq) than emissions in 2016. The report on Ireland’s Final Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2017 (EPA, 2019) identifies that:
The EPA 2019 publication Ireland’s Greenhouse Gas Emission Projections 2018-2040 provides an assessment of Ireland’s total projected greenhouse gas emissions out to 2040 which includes an assessment of progress towards achieving its emission reduction targets out to 2020 and 2030 set under the EU Effort Sharing Decision and Effort Sharing Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2018/842). Ireland’s 2020 target is to achieve a 20% reduction of non- Emission Trading Scheme (non-ETS) sector emissions (i.e. agriculture, transport, the built environment, waste and non-energy intensive industry) on 2005 levels with annual limits set for each year over the period 2013-2020. Ireland’s 2030 target under the Effort Sharing Regulation is a 30% reduction of emissions compared to 2005 levels by 2030. There will be binding annual limits over the 2021 ‐ 2030 period to meet that target. Key insights identified as part of the report’s package of documents are that:
For 2017, the total national GHG emissions are estimated to be 60.74 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO 2 eq), 0.9% lower than 2016. In the last 3 years, national total emissions have increased by 6.4%. In the same period, emissions in the ETS 47 sector have increased by 5.9%. Agriculture emissions increased by 2.9% in 2017 (driven by higher dairy cow numbers and increases in milk production). GHG emissions from the Transport sector decreased by 2.4% in 2017. This is the first year of decreased emissions after four successive years of increases in transport emissions. Agriculture and Transport accounted for 73.5% of total ESD emissions in 2017. Emissions in the Energy Industries sector show a decrease of 6.9% which is attributable to a 5.9% decrease in fossil fuel consumption and an increase of 21.1% and 1.6% in electricity generated from wind and hydro, respectively, in 2017. Renewables now account for 30.1% of electricity generated in 2017, an increase of 3.3% from 2016 figures. Ireland continued to be a net exporter of electricity in 2017. However, exported electricity saw a 4.7% reduction in 2017 to previous 2016 figures.
There is a long ‐ term projected decrease in greenhouse gas emissions as a result of inclusion of new climate mitigation policies and measures that formed part of the 2018-2027 National Development Plan, which was published in 2018. This is evident in the With Additional Measures scenario which assumes full implementation of the programmes, policies and measures included in the National Development Plan. Fossil fuels such as coal, peat and gas continue to be key contributors to emissions from the power generation sector. However, a significant reduction in emissions over the longer term is projected as a result of the expansion of renewables (e.g. wind), assumed to reach 41 ‐ 54% by 2030, with a move away from coal and peat. A growth in emissions from the transport sector continues to be projected which is largely attributed to fuel consumption from diesel cars and diesel freight. A decrease in emissions over the longer term, most notably in the With Additional Measures scenario, is largely attributed to assumed accelerated deployment of
which is determined by the supply and demand at the (trading) market. 48 Manufacturing Combustion; includes combustion of fuels in Industry and Construction, both in ETS and non-ETS
47 The EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) was launched in 2005 as the world’s first international company-level ‘cap- and trade’ system for reducing emissions of greenhouse gases cost-effectively. The cap makes sure that CO 2 becomes a product and, thus, CO 2 is valued at a price,
CAAS for Cork City Council
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