The statistical bulletin outlines key Northern Ireland figures from the Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The estimates were produced by Ricardo Energy and Environment on behalf of the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy, the Welsh Assembly, Scottish Government and Northern Ireland Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs.
The key points are:
• In 2019, Northern Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 21.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This was a decrease of 1% compared with 2018. The longer term trend showed a decrease of 18% compared to the base year (1990).
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• The largest sectors in terms of emissions in 2019 were agriculture (26%), transport (20%) and residential (14%). Most sectors showed a decreasing trend since the base year.
• The largest decreases, in terms of tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, were in the energy supply, waste management and residential sectors. These were driven by the energy sector fuel switching from coal to natural gas, a move replicated within the residential sector and the introduction of methane capture and oxidation systems in landfill management.
• Northern Ireland accounted for 4% of UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2019. In total, the UK reduced emissions by 44% between the base year and 2019. Scotland and England reduced emissions by 45% and 44% respectively. Wales and Northern Ireland reduced emissions by 31% and 18% respectively.
• A major revision of the measurement of UK emissions has been included in this year's greenhouse gas inventory. The inclusion of the recommendations of the 'wetlands supplement' has resulted in an upward shift in the overall emissions recorded from 1990 – 2019 from that previously reported. Further details are available in Appendix A of the main report.
