Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 6 Nov 2001

Vol. 543 No. 2

Written Answers. - Carbon Dioxide Emissions.

John Gormley

Ceist:

490 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for the Environment and Local Government if he has figures estimating the amount of carbon dioxide released per person each year; if such statistics exist; the way in which this compares with averages from other EU countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26102/01]

Minister for the Environment and Local Government (Mr. Dempsey):

Per capita emissions of COf8>2 and other greenhouse gas emissions for 1997 for all EU member states are presented in Emissions to Air 1990-1998, Estimation Methods, Trends and Challenges – EPA 2000 – a copy of which is in the Oireachtas Library.

The OECD recently published its Environmental Indicators 2001, which includes the following data on per capita COf8>2 emissions from energy use for 1998.

Country	Per Capita CO2 Emissions from Energy Use 1998 (tonnes)
Portugal	5.4
Sweden	6.0
France	6.4
Spain	6.5
Italy	7.4
Austria	7.6
Greece	7.9
UK	9.3
Germany	10.4
Ireland	10.4
Denmark	10.8
The Netherlands	10.8
Finland	11.6
Belgium	12.0
Luxembourg	16.8
EU 15	9.3

The OECD figure of 10.4 tonnes of CO2 per capita for Ireland is not comparable to the figure of circa 11 tonnes of CO2 per capita indicated in the EPA report as the OECD figure relates to emissions from energy use only.