Ryanair’s carbon emissions fall by 60pc as pandemic decimates flights

RYANAIR, one of Europe’s top carbon polluters, saw its carbon emissions fall by 60pc last year as Covid-19 grounded most of the airline’s flights.

Aer Lingus’ emissions fell by 75pc but from a much lower level, while Norwegian Air, which is also based in Ireland, had a reduction of 86pc.

The figures reflect a devastating year for the aviation industry, just a year after Ryanair’s increasing flight numbers had pushed it into the top 10 of EU emitters, alongside the region’s biggest coal and lignite plants.

The airline’s emissions fell from just over 10.4 million tonnes of carbon in 2019 to 4.2 million last year.

That still leaves the company as the highest emitter of Ireland’s large energy users, according to preliminary figures from the European Commission.

Around 11,000 airlines, power plants and major industrial installations across the EU are monitored each year under the EU’s emissions trading scheme (ETS).

The scheme aims to incentivise companies to reduce their emissions by allocating them each an emissions allowance and requiring purchase of extra permits if the allowance is exceeded, while also allowing any surplus to be sold.

Ireland has around 100 companies and installations in the ETS, including some of the country’s biggest pharmaceutical plants, food producers, dairy companies, manufacturers and breweries.

While the airlines’ performances are distorted by the pandemic, the trend looks positive for the energy sector.

Power companies reported a steady demand throughout 2020, with any fall-off in commercial activity largely made up for by an increase in the domestic sector.

The ESB achieved almost a 10pc drop in emissions across six of its fossil fuel stations, despite a 25pc increase at the soon-to-be decommissioned coal burning power station at Moneypoint where electricity generation was cranked up last summer while some gas-powered plants were down for maintenance. The ESB’s figures are expected to fall further this year as Moneypoint’s wind-down resumes and after the closure of the company’s two peat burning stations last December.

Eirgrid reported on Monday that renewable energy, chiefly wind, provided 43pc of the country’s electricity needs last year, which was ahead of the 40pc target. The target for the end of the decade is 70pc so further significant emission falls from the energy sector are expected.

Emissions from heavy industry have proven harder to turn around but there are signs of continuing progress by the country’s cement producers, although any impact of the pandemic on production will have to be factored in.

Across the EU, emissions in the ETS sector fell by a record 12.6pc but that is partly due to the slump in aviation and other Covid impacts.

The sector has a target to reduce its emissions by 43pc on 2005 levels by 2030, which is a softer target than the overall EU objective of a 55pc reduction.

There have been growing calls in recent months for the removal of the sector’s special treatment which critics say is shielding companies from the tough actions that have to be taken to tackle climate change.

ETS companies are responsible for about 25pc of Ireland’s national annual emissions which in 2019 totalled 60 million tonnes.

The Environmental Protection Agency is to produce a full analysis of the Irish figures in the coming weeks.