26 August, 2020

C02 emmsions dropped by an estimated 2.5% between March and May this year, according to a recent study conducted by CIT’s Clean Tecnology Centre (CTC) researchers.

The reduction, as a result of the impact of the lockdown from the COVID-19 pandemic, was just one of the findings detailed in the CTC report, which was commissioned and published by the EPA.

The biggest driver of falling energy-related CO2 emissions was the reduced consumption of transport fuel. Overall, traffic volumes were down by an average of 68% during the lockdown compared to the same period in 2019. 

While the report focusses primarily on the environmental effects of the pandemic, CTC researchers also included related effects such as changes in consumption, which have knock-on environmental impacts. The full report can be accessed here.

Eileen O’Leary, Environmental Consultant at the Clean Technology Centre and one of the authors of the study said, “The project has shown that even with all the closures, suffering, and immense changes of the lockdown period, this has only resulted in a paltry 2.5% reduction in carbon emissions for Ireland for 2020. This brings home the urgency that mankind needs to do things completely differently, ensuring people can live and enjoy life, without detriment to the world we live in."

Additional analysis by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) predicts a reduction of 9.5% CO2 emissions in total for this year. However, they warn that the reduction will be short-lived as energy demand and emissions rise again in 2021.

In publishing its greenhouse gas emissions projections for the period 2019-2040 in July 2020, the EPA noted short term emission reductions due to COVID-19 do not negate the need for long term, targeted action across all sectors.