Industry affects climate change through a wide variety of processes, many of which are specific to each industrial sector.
These processes can however be broadly grouped into the following;
- Energy,
- Transport
- and Resources.
Large industry in Ireland, as with all business sectors, has experianced unprecedented growth since 1990. Our economy has grown by 196% between 1990 - 2006 and our greenhouse gas emissions have grown accordingly. (SEI - Energy in Ireland 1990 - 2006)
This economic growth, along with and partly due to Ireland's expanding population and phenomenal rate of infrastructural developement and house building, has resulted in Ireland's output of greenhouse gas emissions, according to data from 2006, being 25.5% above the 1990 levels. In accordance with the Kyoto Protocol Ireland must reduce its carbon output to 13% above 1990 levels by 2012.
Large industry in 2005 was responsable for a very significant amount of Ireland's emissions. There are approximately 4,800 large industries in Ireland, if we are to meet out climate change obligations everyone involved in the sector has the reponsability and power to take action.
This section aims to provide an overview of how industry in Ireland impacts on climate change by looking at the emissions from each of these areas.
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