Ryanair is country’s top carbon polluter, as airline emissions exceeded 12 million tonnes last year

The airline, which this week celebrated becoming the first European airline to fly 200 million passengers in a year, now has annual emissions equalling that of Cyprus and Malta combined.

Its emissions grew by more than 17pc from 2023 to 2024, according to the latest release of data by the EU which monitors around 11,000 of the biggest energy using and carbon polluting power plants, factories and companies across the bloc.

Ireland’s top 10 also included ESB, Irish Cement and Aughinish Alumina.

ESB’s single biggest emitter is its Moneypoint power plant which, despite producing historically low levels of electricity, emitted more than one million tonnes of carbon because it runs on coal.

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ESB also has high-emitting gas-powered generating stations at Poolbeg, Dublin Bay and Aghada, Co Cork.

SSE, Energia and Bord Gáis also have power stations that are among the highest emitting plants in the country.

The data comes from the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS), which tracks a complex system of carbon credits, emissions and exceedances. For the first time since it was set up in 2005, shipping companies have been included.

In Ireland, the ...
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