Energy use grew significantly across all sectors of the Irish economy in 2015 according to Ireland's national energy statistics, released by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). The report, Energy in Ireland 1990-2015, highlights nearly 5 per cent growth in energy use which is the first significant growth since 2010. In addition, energy-related CO₂ emissions increased by 6 per cent. This increase in energy use and CO₂ emissions is in the context of strong economic growth in 2015.

• Energy accounts for 60 per cent of the country’s total greenhouse gas emissions and so has an important role in developing low-carbon solutions for Ireland. There has been good progress in terms of renewable energy deployment and improvements in energy efficiency.
• Renewables contributed over 9 per cent towards Ireland’s energy use which compares with a national target of 16 per cent to be reached by 2020. This has avoided nearly 4.0 million tonnes of CO₂ in just one year alone and also avoided over €400 million of energy imports. Energy efficiency improvements are evident in households, the new private car stock and in the public sector.
• In relation to electricity, over a quarter of our electricity needs were met by renewable energy with the majority from wind and smaller contributions from hydro, landfill gas and bioenergy. In addition, renewables contributed 5.7 per cent to energy use in transport and 6.5 per cent in the heating sector.

“The publication of these energy figures is a timely and pertinent analysis of Ireland’s energy usage following the conclusion of COP22 in Marrakech last week and Ireland’s ratification of the Paris Agreement earlier in November. We are seeing good progress on renewable energy and energy efficiency, however, this needs to be further accelerated to keep pace with higher economic activity and demand for energy," said Jim Gannon, SEAI chief executive. "The Government is already responding to this challenge with significant increased funding committed to energy efficiency and renewable heat in Budget 2017. This allows us to build on the progress to date and continue to decarbonise our energy system which will reduce costs, improve energy security and reduce environmental impact. “In 2015 the average household emitted 5.5 tonnes of CO₂ of which 61 per cent came from direct fuel use in the home and the remainder from electricity use. The transition to a sustainable, low-carbon energy system requires the participation of citizens and communities in both decision-making and action.  It is vital that we have an informed debate about the choices for Ireland as we move to a low-carbon economy. SEAI is committed to the provision of timely, robust and transparent data to ensure that policy development, decision-making and our energy transition is based on high quality data and evidence,” he concluded. The full report Energy in Ireland 1990-2015 and accompanying infographic can be downloaded here.