Ireland Meets EU Emissions Reduction Targets For All Five Major Air Pollutants.

• In 2024, Ireland was compliant with EU Emissions Reduction targets for all five major pollutants: ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter. Consistent implementation of existing national policies is key to meeting 2030 targets.
• Taking the long view, many pollutants have seen significant decreases since the 1990s. Particulate matter, which can have significant impacts on human health, is down by 67 per cent. Pollutants associated with acid rain have also reduced dramatically: sulphur dioxide is down by 96 per cent and nitrogen oxide is down by 67 per cent.
• Ammonia emissions, which arise almost entirely from agriculture, remained within EU limits for the third consecutive year.
• Reductions in sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and fine particulate matter were largely driven by lower fossil fuel use in power generation and residential heating.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today published its assessment of five key air pollutants which impact air quality, health and the environment for 2024.

The pollutants are:

1. ammonia.
2. non-methane volatile organic compounds.
3. sulphur dioxide.
4. nitrogen oxides.
5. fine particulate matter.

Agriculture accounts for over 99% of ammonia emissions in Ireland and was previously non-compliant with EU targets in 2020 and 2021. The ongoing adoption of low-emission slurry spreading, in combination with a reduction of dairy cattle and other cattle numbers, has brought ammonia emissions into compliance with the EU Emission Reduction target for the years 2022, 2023 and 2024. This reflects the impact of on-farm adoption of a range of good farming practices.

Commenting on the findings Ms Roni Hawe, Director of the EPA’s Office of Evidence and Assessment said: “Ireland is on track to meet its 2030 EU Emissions Reduction targets for all five major air pollutants. The EPA’s assessment confirms that this progress is delivering clear benefits for air quality, human health and sensitive ecosystems, and shows that targeted policies and practical measures are achieving measurable reductions in emissions.”

She added: “Low-emission slurry spreading alone avoided an estimated 8,526 tonnes of ammonia being released to the atmosphere. That’s seven per cent of the national total, making it one of the most effective actions in reducing national ammonia emissions. Continued and wider adoption of these practices is essential to sustain progress on air quality.”

Beyond ammonia, Ireland is in compliance with EU Emission Reduction targets for the other air pollutants. In 2024, Sulphur dioxide decreased by 4.4 per cent; fine particulate matter by 1.9 per cent; nitrogen oxides by 1.3 per cent and non-methane volatile organic compounds by 1.0 per cent. Less fossil fuel use in power generation and residential heating has been key in reducing these emissions.

Commenting on these findings Dr Tomás Murray, Senior Manager of EPA Emissions Statistics said: “This is good news. We can hit our 2030 air pollutant reduction goals if we stay on course with the National Air Pollution Control Programme. By moving away from fossil fuels to generate our electricity and continued adoption of a range of good farming practices, we aren’t just achieving targets but also actively protecting our health and our environment.”

For further details on these figures, see the EPA report Ireland’s Air Pollutant Emissions: Trends and Outlook on the EPA website HERE.