Ireland’s ‘real’ carbon footprint 70% higher than estimated – ESRI

Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions are about 70 per cent higher than calculated, a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) suggests.

An analysis by the think tank shows that when emissions are worked out on the basis of what the country consumes, rather than what it produces, the contribution to man-made climate change is significantly higher.

Key polluting industries such as chemicals, rubber and plastic “import” huge emissions from other countries, The Global Emissions Impact of Irish Consumption study states.

But general trade, the hotel and accommodation sector, professional services and public services and utilities are shown to be worse polluters than currently calculated when the carbon footprint of imports are taken into consideration.

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Under international agreements to curb man-made climate change, a country’s emissions are based on what it produces within its own borders. The ESRI said this method raises “a question of responsibility” for those causing greenhouse gases.

The system allows the largest polluters in the world to avoid emissions-based penalties by importing products and services from overseas.

“Ultimately, this system of emissions accounting penalises those countries – typically poorer – that are involved in the more carbon-heavy stage of the global supply chain,” the advisory body said.

Using a different method of calculating emissions – one based on consumption within the country – the ESRI reveals Ireland’s pollution to be much starker than official estimates suggest.

Across 39 sectors of the economy, Ireland “imports” 18,874,000 tonnes of carbon a year, almost two thirds of what it produces at home (29,357,000 tonnes).

When it comes to the carbon impact of high-tech products, Ireland imports about 55 times what it produces. In hotel and accommodation we import 14 times what we produce.

The overall carbon figure including imports is 16 times higher for public services – anything the State or Government is involved in – four times higher for professional services and 20 times higher for wood and wood products.

But it is emissions “embedded” in imports for household consumption that make up the largest share of “imported emissions”, the ESRI said.

Chemicals, rubber, mining products, trade, transportation equipment, high-tech products, food, drinks, tobacco and textiles are also among the worst offenders.

Home-grown emissions for many of these products are low “and even negligible”, meaning there is no incentive – from a domestic emissions reduction point of view – for consumers to reduce use of them, the report argues.

Across all sectors studied Ireland’s home-grown emissions amount to 61,275,000 tonnes of carbon. When “imported emissions” are taken into account – balanced against exports – the country’s, arguably real, carbon toll is 106,576,000 tonnes.

Ireland effectively outsources about 66,000,000 tonnes of carbon to other countries to feed our consumption.

[ Ireland improves climate performance in latest global index but ‘rebounding emissions’ an issue ]

[ Ireland has no choice but to reduce its emissions, says Ryan ]

“If Ireland is committed to reducing its global carbon footprint, it would need to implement policies that tackle these emissions outside our borders,” the ESRI report said.

Dr Kelly De Bruin, report author and senior research officer with the ESRI, said although she had expected to find disparities between Ireland’s official carbon emissions and its actual footprint it was “still a bit shocking”.

“I was expecting to see a lot of carbon imports for the likes of manufacturing, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, but I was surprised about how high it was for professional services, for instance – these high-skilled services that rely on technology,” she said.

Dr De Bruin said because international climate policies are generally based on what a country produces, rather than what it consumes, then poorer countries – often at the coalface of climate change – carry the can for consumption in richer countries such as Ireland.

“In an ideal world emissions would be reduced all over and we wouldn’t need to consider consumption versus production,” she said.

“But because of the inequalities in the world, we are effectively outsourcing our production and carbon emissions to other countries – that is the matter of fact.”

Dr De Bruin believes Ireland has a moral duty to set climate emission targets based on what we consume as well as what we produce. “I’d love to see that, even if it was first a case of having this information available to consumers so they can make an informed choice.”