"Its image of lush green fields and skies unpolluted by the climate-changing greenhouse gases of heavy industry is well-known, but the reality of Ireland’s household pollution is a little different.
The latest research shows that carbon emissions from Irish homes are the highest in the 28-member European Union, mainly due to the large-scale use of coal, peat and oil.
A report by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI), a government-funded body which promotes moves towards renewable energy, says average emissions of CO2 per household in Ireland are the worst in the EU, well over 50% higher than the EU average.
“Between 2014 and 2016, CO2 emissions from the (household) sector increased by almost 7%, having fallen by almost a quarter between 2005 and 2014”, says the report.
”A move away from our over-reliance on fossil fuels is essential, alongside a move toward more significant energy efficiency improvements in the home”
Ireland was badly hit by the recession of 2008 but in recent years its economy has been growing strongly.
The SEAI study says a rise in disposable incomes in recent years, together with a fall in oil prices, has led to higher energy consumption.
Ireland’s population has grown substantially over the past 20 years, from around 3.8m to 4.8m. The report says that along with the rise in population, the number of households has also increased – to 1.7m in 2016, an almost 40% rise since the turn of the century.
Not only has the number of households been increasing; the SEAI says the size of the average house has also been growing – meaning there is a larger area to heat.
“In 2016 our homes accounted for roughly one quarter of Ireland’s total energy use, costing Irish householders €3.4bn”, says the study".
(Posted by +rasha kamel )